Here's a list and description of some of the special equipment used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bryn Mawr Hospital to treat and care for premature and seriously ill newborns:

Warmer Bed
A special bed permits easy access to the infant while maintaining the baby’s correct body temperature. A sensor, taped to the child’s skin, records and regulates the amount of warmth generated by an overhead heating hood.

Isolette
When babies improve, they are moved into this familiar incubator. The baby is sustained comfortably by a continuous circulation of warm air. The infant stays in the isolette until he or she is large enough to maintain body temperature without weight loss. At that time, the baby is moved to an open bassinet.

Monitoring Vital Signs
Special patches, or sensors, are placed on the baby’s skin. These are connected to a cardiorespiratory monitor to continuously record heart and breathing rates. A catheter inserted either in the umbilical artery or in the peripheral arteries of the wrists or foot continuously record blood pressure. A special machine with miniature blood pressure cuff for the arm or leg is used, as needed, when babies no longer need continuous monitoring. Electrocardiograms (EKGs) evaluate the heart’s electrical activity and may be taken at the bedside on portable machines by leads attached to the infant’s arms, legs and chest.

Intravenous Lines
All the IV fluids a baby receives are administered by a pump that delivers small, accurately measured amounts of liquids, nutrients and medicines, as needed. IV lines may enter either a large artery or vein in the baby’s umbilical cord. Other IVs may be placed in smaller veins or arteries in the hands, feet or scalp. The arterial lines are used to monitor blood pressure and obtain blood samples. The venous lines are used to deliver fluids, nutrition and medication. A central venous line may be inserted, for example, into the umbilical vein, a peripheral vein, or the jugular vein to serve as a route for major nutritional support. To prevent the infant from accidentally pulling them out, the IVs are stabilized by special boards cushioned with bandages applied to the baby’s arms or legs.

Phototherapy
Many infants in the NICU become jaundiced or yellowed due to an excess of a substance called bilirubin, which comes from the breakdown of red blood cells. The baby’s eyes are covered by eye patches when being exposed to overhead phototherapy lights to correct this imbalance in the blood.

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