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Guide for NICU families

NICU Words, Explained in Plain Language

From the 89 Days Strong family · Updated October 11, 2026

The NICU has its own language: beeping monitors, acronyms on whiteboards, and words on rounds you've never heard before. This is a plain-language glossary of words we heard over and over, plus the names of the things you'll see on the monitor. What the numbers mean for your baby is a question for your baby's team. We asked it every day.

Every baby is different, and your care team sets what's normal for your baby. This page is to help you ask questions, not to read the monitors on your own. If anything worries you, ask your nurse.

A note from our family: this is general information from one NICU family to another, not medical advice. Every baby and every unit is different, so please ask your baby’s care team about anything specific to your baby.

What's on the bedside monitor

Many NICU babies are connected to a monitor. The layout and colors differ between brands and hospitals, so ask your nurse to walk you through your baby's screen. These are the names of things you may see on it:

Heart rate (HR)
Heartbeats per minute. What's expected for your baby is something your nurse can walk you through.
Respiratory rate (RR)
Breaths per minute, usually picked up by the sticky pads on the chest. If the number confuses you, ask your nurse what they look for with your baby.
Oxygen saturation (SpO2 or "sats")
An estimate of how much oxygen is in the blood, measured by a small sensor with a red light, usually wrapped around a hand or foot. Your baby's team sets the range they're aiming for. Ask them what it is for your baby.
Blood pressure (BP)
Measured with a tiny cuff, or through a line in some babies.
Temperature
Often measured by a small sensor on the skin.

A few things that helped us

Beds, places, and people

NICU
Neonatal intensive care unit: a hospital unit for newborns who need extra care.
Level of care
NICUs are often described by level, based on the kinds of care they provide. Some babies move between units or hospitals.
Isolette or incubator
An enclosed, clear bed that keeps a baby warm.
Warmer (radiant warmer)
An open bed with a heater above it.
Open crib
A regular bassinet-style bed. Ask your team what moving to one means for your baby.
Neonatologist
A doctor who specializes in caring for newborns.
NNP
Neonatal nurse practitioner: an advanced practice nurse who helps manage babies' care.
RT
Respiratory therapist: the person who looks after breathing equipment.
Rounds
When the team meets, usually daily, to talk about each baby and make the plan. Ask if parents can join.

Age and size

Gestational age (GA)
How far along the pregnancy was, counted in weeks.
Weeks plus days
A shorthand you may see on charts and whiteboards: the number of weeks, a plus sign, then the number of days.
Corrected age (or adjusted age)
A baby's age counted from their original due date instead of their birth date.
Grams
The unit many NICUs use to weigh babies. Your nurse can tell you the weight in pounds and ounces too.

Breathing words

Room air
Regular air, with no extra oxygen added.
FiO2
A way of describing how much oxygen is in the air a baby is getting.
Nasal cannula
Soft, thin prongs in the nose that deliver air or oxygen. You may hear "low flow" or "high flow."
CPAP
Continuous positive airway pressure: a steady flow of air through soft nose prongs or a mask.
Ventilator ("vent")
A machine that breathes for or with a baby, through a breathing tube.
Intubated / extubated
Having a breathing tube placed / having it taken out.
Surfactant
A word you may hear about the lungs. Ask your team what it means for your baby.
Wean
Slowly lowering support, such as oxygen or pressure.

"Events": the A's, B's, and D's

Apnea (the "A")
A pause in breathing. Ask your team what it means for your baby.
Bradycardia ("brady," the "B")
A slowing of the heart rate.
Desaturation ("desat," the "D")
A dip in the oxygen level.
Stim
A word you may hear from nurses. Ask your nurse what it means for your baby.
Medicine names
You may hear names of medicines you don't know. Ask your team what each one is and why it's part of your baby's plan.

Feeding words

NPO
Nothing by mouth.
TPN
Total parenteral nutrition: nutrition given through an IV.
NG or OG tube
A thin tube through the nose (NG) or mouth (OG) to the stomach, used for feeding.
Gavage feeding
Feeding through an NG or OG tube.
Fortifier
Something added to breast milk or formula.
Cue-based feeding
Offering feeds by mouth when a baby shows signs of being ready.
Residuals
Milk left in the stomach before the next feed.

Lines and tubes

IV
A small, soft tube in a vein for fluids, nutrition, or medicine.
PICC line
A longer, thin IV line threaded into a larger vein.
UVC / UAC
Lines placed in the umbilical cord's vein (UVC) or artery (UAC).
Leads
The sticky pads on the chest that connect to the monitor.
Pulse ox probe
The small sensor with a red light that measures oxygen saturation.

Other words you may hear

Bili (bilirubin)
A yellow substance in the blood. You'll often hear it mentioned with jaundice, a yellowing of the skin.
Phototherapy ("bili lights")
Special blue lights you may see over a baby’s bed. Ask your team why they’re being used for your baby.
Kangaroo care
Skin-to-skin holding, with your baby in a diaper on your bare chest.
Labs, cultures, and gases
Blood tests. A "gas" is short for blood gas.
Head ultrasound ("HUS")
An imaging test of the brain, done through the soft spot on top of the head.
ROP exam
An eye exam you may hear about for some babies. Ask your team whether your baby needs one.
Car seat test
A check some NICUs do before discharge. Ask your team whether your baby needs one and what it involves.

Keep a list of your own

Every unit has its own favorite words. When you hear a new one, write it down and ask what it means for your baby. Our list of questions to ask NICU nurses and doctors has more ideas for those conversations.