Nursing Care of At-Risk/High Risk/Sick Newborns

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary and concepts related to the nursing care of at-risk and high-risk newborns.

High-risk newborn

A newborn at greater-than-average chance of morbidity or mortality regardless of gestational age or weight.

Low-birthweight (LBW) infant

An infant whose birth weight is less than 2500 grams (5.5 lbs.), regardless of gestational age.

Very low-birthweight (VLBW) infant

An infant whose birth weight is less than 1500 grams (3.3 lbs.).

Gestational age

The duration of gestation measured in weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period to the date of birth.

Apgar score

A quick test performed on a newborn at 1 and 5 minutes after birth, assessing the infant's heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex response, and color.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)

A condition in which a fetus does not grow to its expected weight and size in the womb.

Neonatal death

Death that occurs within the first 27 days of life.

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)

A condition in newborns caused by insufficient production of surfactant, leading to the collapse of the lungs.

Meconium aspiration syndrome

A condition that occurs when a newborn inhales a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid into the lungs around the time of delivery.

Apnea of prematurity (AOP)

Cessation of breathing for more than 20 seconds in preterm infants, often associated with bradycardia and oxygen desaturation.

Hyperbilirubinemia

An excessive level of bilirubin in the blood, commonly resulting in jaundice in newborns.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)

A serious gastrointestinal disease mostly affecting premature infants, characterized by inflammation and bacterial invasion of the intestinal wall.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

A condition affecting the retina of preterm infants, which can lead to blindness due to abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn

A condition resulting from the destruction of a newborn's red blood cells due to blood type incompatibility with the mother.

Exchange transfusion

A medical procedure used to replace a newborn's blood with donor blood to reduce dangerously high bilirubin levels or correct hemolytic disease.