Neonatal Complications Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards related to neonatal complications, assessment, and management.

TORCH

An acronym for a group of infections that can cause fetal disorders: Toxoplasmosis, Other (Hepatitis, Syphilis, Varicella-Zoster), Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Complications from maternal alcohol use during pregnancy; can cause mental retardation, growth restrictions, microcephaly, receding jaw, and facial deformities in the fetus.

Withdrawal Syndrome

Infants who are born addicted to substances due to maternal recreational drug use (heroin, cocaine).

Large for Gestational Age (LGA)

Infants whose weight, length and head circumference is larger than average for their gestational age, typically falling in the 90th percentile or greater on the growth chart.

Small for Gestational Age (SGA)

Infants whose weight, length, and head circumference are lower than expected for the infant's gestational age, typically falling in the 10th percentile or less

Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)

Reserved for infants who are less than 10th percentile in weight, length and head circumference

Preterm Delivery

Condition in newborns in which a baby is born at less than 37 weeks gestation

Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN)

A mild respiratory distress condition in newborns, usually self-limiting within 72 hours; exhibits mild retractions, nasal flaring, and some expiratory grunting.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)

A lung disorder affecting preterm infants caused by a lack of pulmonary surfactant, which leads to progressive atelectasis.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

A chronic pulmonary insufficiency related to long-term artificial pulmonary ventilation causing barotrauma from pressure ventilation and oxygen toxicity.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)

An acute inflammatory disease of the GI mucosa, commonly complicated by perforation, that often affects newborns in the NICU; breast milk lowers the incidence.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

A complex, multi-cause disorder that affects the developing retinal vessels of premature infants, leading to scarring and/or detachment.

Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH)

Bleeding into the brain’s ventricles that occurs more often in preterm infants <32 weeks gestation, linked to prematurity, birth asphyxia, LBW, respiratory distress, and hypertension.

Neonatal Distress: Respiratory distress

Condition in which a newborn experiences elevated respiratory rate, cyanosis, nasal flaring, grunting and intercostal retractions.

Non-shivering Thermogenesis

A condition unique to newborns where they cannot produce heat by shivering; cold stress leads to a chemical reaction that produces heat but can lead to metabolic acidosis and depletion of brown fat reserves.

Cold Stress

A condition caused by increased caloric and oxygen consumption and metabolic acidosis with s/s including hypoglycemia, increased respiratory rate, mottling of skin, cyanosis, increased CRT, and temperature < 36.4 C .

Neonatal Sepsis

A condition in the newborn with the following s/s: lethargy, poor feeding, unstable temperature, increased or decreased heart rate, WBCs increased, CRP elevation, and seizures

Hypoglycemia

A condition in the newborn with blood glucose of less than 40mg/dl in term infants and less than 25 mg/dl in preterm infants.

Physiologic Jaundice

Normal jaundice that occurs after the first 24 hours of life, with bilirubin levels peaking between 3-5 days and not rising rapidly.

Pathological Jaundice

A condition in newborns characterized by jaundice occurring within the first 24 hours of life, with 24 hour levels in a term infant >12.9, and in the pre-term infant >15.

Kernicterus

The excess accumulation of unbound, unconjugated bilirubin, which is deposited in brain tissue causing neurologic damage.

Congenital disorder

Anomaly that results from genetic, prenatal or environmental factors or combination and is present at birth.

Genetic disorder

Inherited defect.

Acquired disorder

Results from environmental factors.

Polyhydramnios

Increased volume of amniotic fluid.

Oligohydramnios

Decreased volume of amniotic fluid.

Esophageal Atresia

absence of a normal body opening or the abnormal closure of a body passage.

Tracheoesophageal Fistula

The esophagus ends in a blind pouch and the other end is connected to the trachea by a fistula.

Meningomyelocele (Spina Bifida)

Protrusion of meninges and spinal cord through vertebrae.

Meningocele

Meninges herniate through unformed vertebrae.

Microcephaly

Head circumference small (usually 2 standard deviations from the normal).

Hydrocephaly

Defined as water in the head (CSF) results in an enlarged head, bulging fontanels, split or widened sutures in the infant.

Anencephaly

A condition in which the skull and the cerebrum is malformed but the anterior pituitary lobe is intact.

Congenital heart defects

Are anatomic abnormalities of the heart present at birth.

Transposition of Great Arteries

Occurs when the aorta arises from the right ventricle instead of the left ventricle, and the pulmonary arteries arises from the left ventricle instead of the right.

Coarctation of the Aorta

A constriction or narrowing of the aortic arch or the descending aorta usually adjacent to the ligamentum arteriosum.

Atrial Septal Defect

An abnormal opening in the heart septum between the right and left atria.

Ventricular Septal Defect

An abnormal opening in the septum of the heart between the left and right ventricles

Tetrology of Fallot

Characterized by the combination of 4 defects: 1. pulmonary stenosis 2. ventricular septal defect 3. Overriding aorta 4. Hypertrophy of the right ventricle

Cleft lip/palate, Omphalocele, Gastroschisis

lip is always obvious, palate is not Omphalocele: defect covered by peritoneal sac, located at base of umbilicus into which abdominal organs herniate. Gastroschisis: bowel herniates thru abdominal wall defect and lie openly on abdomen.

Intestinal obstruction

Usually seen with cystic fibrosis, s/s abdominal distention, bile stained emesis, and no passage of stool

Imperforate anus

Noted, sometimes, while checking for rectal temp. Repaired surgically

Malformations of hip involving varying degrees of deformity, ranging from subluxation to complete dislocation

Congenital hip dysplasia

Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus)

Portions of the foot and ankle are twisted out of normal position.

Exstrophy of the bladder

The bladder is open and exposed on lower abdomen.

Epispadious

urethral meatus dorsal

Ambiguous Genitalia

Rare condition in which an infant's external genitals don't appear to be clearly either male or female.

Cryptochidism

Undescended testes

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Most common amino acid disorder, unable to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine, Accumulates excessive amounts of phenylalanine in brain leads to progressive MR

Galactosemia

Inborn error of metabolism- lack the enzyme to convert galactose to glucose

Congenital Hypothyroidism

Congenital absence of the thyroid glands or the inability of the thyroid gland to secrete hormones.

Maple Syrup Urine Disease

Inborn error of metabolism of amino acids, rapidly progressive and often fatal.

Fractures

Linear fractures and depressed fractures: most common and heal without intervention

Clavicle Fracture

Clavicle: is bone most often fractured during birth

Erb-Duchenne

Most common type of paralysis associated with difficult birth, results from stretching or pulling head away from shoulder

Facial paralysis

Caused by pressure on facial nerve during birth, face is flattened and unresponsive on affected side

Phrenic nerve injury

Component of brachial plexus injury, results in diaphragmatic paralysis

Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

A condition in which the fetus or newborn develops respiratory distress after inhaling meconium mixed with amniotic fluid.

PPHN: Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

Persistent fetal circulation because the syndrome includes reversion to fetal pathways for blood flow.