Glossary

Reprinted with permission from "Your Premature Baby and Child" by Amy E. Tracy and Dianne I. Maroney (Berkley, 1999)

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Toy block

Acute

 An illness with a sudden onset and a short course

Advocacy

 Taking action, physically and verbally, for your childs best interests

Airway

 The route that air moves from the mouth or nose to the lungs

Alveoli

 The small sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged (oxygen is moved from the lungs into the blood)

Anesthesia

 Medication that eliminates or reduces pain, or temporarily produces a change in the level of consciousness for surgical procedures

Anesthesiologist

 A medical doctor who administers anesthesia

Antibiotics

 Drugs that kill bacteria

Antibodies

 Protein substances in the blood that fight infections

Apnea

 A pause in breathing that lasts for 15 to 20 seconds or longer

Apnea monitor

 See cardiorespiratory monitor

Areola

 The dark area around the nipple of the breast

Artery

 Blood vessels carrying oxyenated blood leading away from the heart

Aspiration

 Breathing a substance other than air into the lungs (such as formula, stomach contents, etc.)

At-risk infant

 A baby who is at risk of developing a specific problem and who can benefit from intervention

Audiologist

 A medical professional who diagnoses and treats hearing problems

Axillary temperature

 A temperature taken under the armpit

 

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