Nursery Terms/Abbreviations

ABO Incompatibility

hemolytic disease that occurs when the mother’s blood type is O and the newborn’s blood type is A, B, or AB

Acrocyanosis

Peripheral cyanosis; bluish discoloration of hands and feet in most newborns at birth that is a normal finding for the first 24 hours

Apgar Score

A test given to newborns soon after birth, it checks baby’s HR, muscle tone, response to stimulation, skin coloration, score of 10 represents best possible condition

Test is usually done twice: 1 min after birth and 5 mins after birth

Babinski Reflex

reflex from newborn that disappears as CNS matures

positive response is normal in infants → great toe pointing upward and the other toes fanning out when the sole of the foot is stimulating, usually disappears between 12-24 months

negative respone (or normal response) → downward curling of toes

Ballard Score

used to determine gestational age

• scores are given 6 physical and 6 nerve and muscle development (neuromuscular) signs of maturity, scores for each range from -1 to 5

• premature babies have low scores, babies born late have high scores

Capcut Succedaneum

generalized, easily identifiable edematous area of the scalp, most often on the occiput

Cephalhematoma

Collection of blood that forms under the periosteum (scalp membrane) of a newborn’s skull, typically caused by pressure and shear forces during a difficult birth, raised bulge that does not cross the cranial suture lines, generally harmless and resolve on their own within weeks to months but some can calcify which would require medical attention

Circumcision

surgical procedure that involves the removal of the foreskin

Coombs Test

Indirect: detmination of Rh-positive antibodies in maternal blood

Direct: detmination of maternal Rh-positive antibodies in fetal cord blood

• positive test result indicates the presence of antibodies, which can be attached to baby’s RBCs, potentially causing anemia or jaundice

• important to check if the mother’s immune system has created antibodies that could harm the baby’s red blood cells, esp if the mother is Rh-negative and the baby is Rh-positive

Ductus Arteriosus

aka DA, a temporary blood vessel that connects the aorta to the pulmonary artery, during fetal development the DA allows blood to bypass the non-functional lungs (fetus recieves oxygen from placenta)

Ductus Venous

temporary blood vessel present in fetus that connect the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava → allowing oxygenated blood from the placenta to bypass the liver and directy into the fetal heart, ensuring proper oxygenation

Epstein Pearls

small, white bumps that commonly appear in newborns mouths

Fontanel

space between bones of the skull in an infant where ossification is not complete and the futures are not fully formed, commonally known as the “soft spot”

Foramen Ovale

small opening in the septum (wall), between the upper chambers of the heart (atria) that is present in all fetuses during pregnancy

Hyperbilirubinemia

condiition where high levels of bilirubin build up blood, causing jaundice

Hypothermia

condition where body’s core temperature drops below 97.7f (for newborns)

Jaundice

conditioning characterized by the yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes

Lanugo

downy, fine hair characteristic of the fetus between 20 weeks of gestation and birth that is most noticeable over the shoulders, forehead, and eyebrows

Meconium

first stool of infant → viscid, sticky, dark greenish brown, almost black, odorless

Milia

unopened sebaceous glands appearing as tiny, white bumps on forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin of neonate → dissapear in a few days/weeks

Molding

shaping of fetal head by overlapping cranial bones to facilitate movement through birth canal during labor

Mongolian Spots

benign blue/gray birthmark found on lower back or butt of newborns

Moro Reflex

involuntary response in infants where they extend arms and legs as response to being startled and/or feeling like they are falling

Nasal Flaring

the widening of nostrils with each breath → sign of difficulty breathing or respiratory distress

Ortolani Manuever

a test used to detect dislocation of hip that can be reduced (put back into place)

Phototherapy

light therapy to reduce serum bilirubin levels by oxidating bilirubin into water-soluble compounds to process in liver and excrete into bile and urine

Retractions

a sign of working hard to breathe → areas below ribs, between ribs, and in neck sink in with each attempt to inhale

RH isoimmunization

occurs when Rh-neg pregnant woman develops antibodies against Rh-positive fetal blood cells → may cross placenta and destroy baby’s circulating RBCs

Rooting Reflex

normal response of newborn to move toward whatever touches area around the mouth and attempt to suck

Sleep Wake cycle

variations in the state of consciousness of infants; infants have shorter sleep cycles and transition between REM and nonREM more frequently

Thermoregulation

maintenance of balance between heat loss and heat production

Vernix

protective gray-white fatty substance of chessy consistency covering fetal skin

Wharton’s jelly

main connective tissue found within the umbilical cord that protects the umbilical vein and arteries from compression and kinking, ensuring proper blood flow between fetus and placenta

SGA

smalll for gestational age → below 10th percentile

LGA

large for gestational age → above 90th percentile

IUGR

intrauterine growth restriction → fetus grows slower than expected rate in uterus resulting in SGA fetus