Your baby is on the neonatal unit as they have a cardiac condition. This will be a difficult and stressful time, but if there is anything that we can do to alleviate this stress please do not hesitate to ask.
During your time here you may have contact with many different “teams”:
- Neonatal Doctors, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (ANNP’s) and Nurses
- Cardiac Doctors
- Cardiac Specialist Nurses
- Anaesthetist
- Neonatal Family Support Worker
- Cardiac Family Support Worker
The Beaters Team
We are a team of Neonatal Nurses, Doctors and ANNP’s who aim to educate nurses and parents on cardiac conditions as well as help parents and ensure they are getting all the support they need.
If you have any questions about your baby’s condition you can ask any of the neonatal team.
Pathways to Cardiac Ward
Your baby may follow many different routes when they are born this will depend upon their condition and what intervention they require. Some wards they may be on include:
- Neonatal Unit (after your baby is born)
- Paediatric Intensive Care (normally after theatre)
- Ward 51 (Specialist Cardiac Ward)
If you want to have a look around any ward before your baby is transferred there please let us know and we will try and arrange this.
Back to topWays we can help you
- Meals all mothers are provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner whilst on the Neonatal Unit.
- Parking permit
- Eckersley house – a place on the hospital grounds for you to stay while your baby is in hospital (this may be subject to availability).
- Access to funding – please speak to the Nurse about financial help you may be entitled to – this is dependent on individual circumstances.
- Access to bedrooms – These are allocated in Brotherton Wing and funded by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund charity (this may be subject to availability)
- Support – The cardiac liaison nurses and cardiac family support team are available for support as well as a psychologist if you feel you need to speak to someone in more depth
While on the neonatal unit you might hear the Doctors and Nurses using words to describe your baby’s condition and interventions that they are planning on doing, we have created a handy list of some of the words you might hear so that you will know what they mean.
Back to topGlossary
- Prostin – A medicine which helps to keep the PDA open
- PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) – a vessel between two major vessels (aorta and pulmonary trunk) just outside the heart normally found in babies when they are born, which usually closes a few hours after birth (An online leaflet explaining PDA in more depth is available)
- ECHO – an ultrasound scan of the heart
- Oxygen Saturations – percentage of oxygen in the blood. Babies in general, and cardiac babies in particular can tolerate saturations lower than an adult, often down to 70%
- Pre and post ductal – percentage of oxygen in the blood before and after passing the PDA
- Femorals – Your baby’s pulse in their groin
- Blood gases – a small blood sample taken to assess your baby’s condition
- Cardiac catheter – this is a procedure used to treat some heart conditions, using a fine wire passed up to the heart from the groin. This is usually done in a special operating theatre called the ‘cath lab’
There are many other medical names & conditions that may be discussed which we are happy to explain to you as they crop up whilst your child is staying on the unit.
Back to topSaturations
While on the unit you may notice a laminated heart on your baby’s monitor- this allows the nurses to know what percentage your baby’s saturations should be.
Further information
There are lots of information leaflets regarding different cardiac conditions available online on the ĢtvƵ Teaching Hospitals website within the patient resources section.
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