A recent post on parenting website Romper reveals some of the most common terms used by Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) staff. The post aims to clarify things for parents who are, understandably, overwhelmed by the birth of their child and then their child’s being placed under special medical care.
Oftentimes medical professionals simply don’t consider that patients might not understand jargon, whether they’re using it in medical instructions or on websites, or communicating directly. But the article reveals that things are a bit different when it comes to NICU jargon. In this case, nurses and other staff may not want to overload new, worried parents with too much information at first. That’s why they may end up only decoding these and other terms for them progressively.
Still, an article like this provides a quick, handy resource for people who tend to feel less stressed and overwhelmed the more informed they are. Plus, it turns out that many of these terms seem more clinical or frightening than they actually are.
Read on to learn what’s behind some lingo commonly heard in the NICU, and also what it’s like for nurses, parents, and babies there.
Contact Our Writer – Alysa Salzberg