New in the NICU
A most generous gift from the Brinkley Family Charitable Trust for parent education has enabled us to purchase , a freestanding interactive touch screen computer. It contains many educational modules designed to increase parents' comfort level within the NICU environment and to enable them to become confident participants in their child's care.
It is mounted on a mobile stand and can be accessed at the baby's bedside, as well as in the privacy of a family room. NICU nurses utilizing video, audio and graphic modalities present the topics. Modules range from an introduction to equipment and explanation of medical terms, to recognition of infant signals. Through a series of taped interviews, families may become acquainted with the emotional challenges that often accompany NICU parenting.
We expect to complement the teaching activities of our NICU staff and provide reinforcement and validation for NICU families.
Maureen McGinty RN MSN
NICU Clinical Manager
Car Seat Testing
GBMC is once again leading the way in the community to improve safety for our smallest patients. We will be expanding our car seat testing to include all preterm babies (babies less than 37 weeks gestation), babies with poor muscle tone and babies diagnosed with GE reflux. In addition to testing the infant's tolerance for sitting in the car seat, we will focus on educating the parents of proper positioning in the car seat. Do you have questions regarding your car seat? contact Pat- 443-849-3048.
Pat Krosnoswki, RNC, NICU Discharge Coordinator
Bubble CPAP – Kinder, gentler, ventilation
Premature infants are at increased risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), a result of deficiency of surfactant that results in the lung units (alveoli) collapsing. Some infants with mild RDS are treated with supplemental oxygen in a hood or via a nasal cannula. In infants who develop severe RDS, surfactant can be administered into the lungs through an endotracheal tube. These infants are typically been cared for on an infant ventilator until their RDS resolves. Another approach has been to anticipate the preterm infant at risk for RDS, and give ‘prophylactic’ surfactant in the delivery room.
Another approach, popularized in the NICU at Children’s Hospital of New York is the early application of positive pressure in the delivery room for infants at risk for or with signs of RDS without the use of a ventilator. The technique used is called Bubble CPAP. The way the pressure is generated is very simple and does not require expensive ventilators. Nasal prongs are placed into the baby’s nose, and the pressure is developed from tubing placed underwater at a particular depth.
The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (chronic lung disease) in premature infants at Columbia, defined as the need for additional oxygen at 36 weeks postconceptional age, is among the lowest in the United States. The application of Bubble CPAP in other centers around the world has also been associated with a low incidence of chronic lung disease.
GBMC introduced Bubble CPAP into the NICU in July 2004. Initially, we have chosen to employ it in infants 27 weeks gestation or greater who have signs of RDS, and in infants being weaned from a ventilator. We will be reviewing our experience, and expect to treat infants of lower gestational ages as we move forward.
Karen Buxenstein, NICU RT
Howard Birenbaum, M.D. Director of Newborn Medicine
5K Benefits NICU
This year the annual Father's Day 5K Race raised over $40,000 for the NICU.
We had a wonderful turnout for our NICU team. In fact, the NICU had the most runners and won the hospital pizza party. The babies in the NICU can't thank everyone enough for all of your support, especially to those who ran or walked in the race. Next year we hope we will have even more people. It is such a great day. After the race, the Sheraton sponsored a super breakfast buffet. Most of our participants were actually former NICU families and it was nice to see them and their families.
That was certainly a highlight of the race this year. Denise Koch from WJZ Baltimore news, our MC, ran again this year and brought her former premies. Overall, we had a pretty fast team. Kelly Reed RN was the fastest NICU runner. Dr.Helou and Dr. Birenbaum were the fastest in the 1.5-mile fun run. Dr. Tim Doran, chairman of Pediatrics, was the fastest male runner on our team. Joan Reese our honoree this year gave a wonderful speech remembering all NICU staff and those everywhere helping us to improve the lives of our tiniest patients. We were fortunate to have some Newborn nurses walk with us, and even some of our local pediatricians joined in the fun. Our group certainly stood out amongst all with our bright pink and blue shirts designed especially for the NICU by Karen Starr and Dr. Pane. In addition to recognizing many of the NICU team the shirt honored our nurse of the year Lauren Brubaker, and our nurse practitioner of the year, Abby Dentry. The footprints of one of our youngest premies were incorporated into the design. Hold the date again next year Father's day. In addition to the run, we are hoping to hold a celebrity dinner and auction the night before. We are always looking for former NICU parents to help us with the planning. If you are interested in attending the race or helping to plan next year's event, please call
Dr. Pane or Karen Starr in the Division of Neonatology 443 849 2792. Looking forward to seeing you in 2005.
Dr. Maria Pane
NICU Neonatologist
Occupational Therapy in the NICU
Occupational Therapy is a health and rehabilitation profession, which has specialized therapists who work in the NICU. Early developmental intervention has been shown to be effective in improving the developmental outcome of premature and at-risk infants. Our therapists are trained to address positioning, muscle tone, motor patterns, range of motion, and how your baby responds to his or her environment. Treatment is determined by their specific needs, medical stability, tolerances, and level of alertness. The occupational therapist will teach you how to encourage age-appropriate activities, promote emotional and physical stability, and will collaborate with the NICU team to determine discharge recommendations. We encourage continuation of the exercises after discharge in coordination with follow up from your private pediatrician.
Meg Craun, NICU Occupational Therapist
