NICU Nurse Practitioners Help with Surfactant Deficiency in Newborns
If an infant has a surfactant deficiency, it usually indicates the presence of infant respiratory distress syndrome, or RDS. This condition is most common in babies born before 28 weeks. Premature infants don't have enough time to produce sufficient amounts of surfactant, which is a protective, naturally occurring substance that helps to coat the lungs and make them function properly. If a baby is born without enough surfactant to coat the lungs and alveoli - the small air sacs found within the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the blood - he or she is at an increased risk for pulmonary failure, or the collapsing of the lungs. This is because the normal gas exchange that normally takes place within the alveoli cannot occur.
Infants who are diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome are immediately admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU. NICU nurse practitioners care for premature infants who are admitted into the NICU. These nurse practitioners are specialized in the care and treatment of premature infants who have birth defects, respiratory disorders, and the like. These specialized nurses work closely with other team members of the NICU, including neonatologists, physician assistants, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and other nurse specialists. NICU nurse practitioners have undergone extensive training in the care of infants with surfactant deficiency, and are well equipped to handle such delicate cases.
If preterm labor and surfactant deficiency is expected, steroids may be given to the mother before delivery. Steroids may help an unborn baby's ability to produce surfactant. This method works best when the steroids are given between 24 hours and seven days before a baby's due date.
In the event of surfactant deficiency in a newborn, treatment should start immediately, within the confines on a NICU. The NICU nurse practitioner and his or her team has several treatment options after a diagnoses has been made. The diagnosis is usually made by blood tests; X-rays; and/or observations of symptoms during or immediately following birth. Symptoms of surfactant deficiency may include bluish skin color, strained breathing, and flaring of the nostrils, among others. Treatment options include machines that assist with breathing; oxygen therapy; and artificial surfactant therapy. These treatments should only be administered under the close watch of nenotatal specialists in the NICU, such as neonatal nurse practitioners.
Infants who are diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome are immediately admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU. NICU nurse practitioners care for premature infants who are admitted into the NICU. These nurse practitioners are specialized in the care and treatment of premature infants who have birth defects, respiratory disorders, and the like. These specialized nurses work closely with other team members of the NICU, including neonatologists, physician assistants, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and other nurse specialists. NICU nurse practitioners have undergone extensive training in the care of infants with surfactant deficiency, and are well equipped to handle such delicate cases.
If preterm labor and surfactant deficiency is expected, steroids may be given to the mother before delivery. Steroids may help an unborn baby's ability to produce surfactant. This method works best when the steroids are given between 24 hours and seven days before a baby's due date.
In the event of surfactant deficiency in a newborn, treatment should start immediately, within the confines on a NICU. The NICU nurse practitioner and his or her team has several treatment options after a diagnoses has been made. The diagnosis is usually made by blood tests; X-rays; and/or observations of symptoms during or immediately following birth. Symptoms of surfactant deficiency may include bluish skin color, strained breathing, and flaring of the nostrils, among others. Treatment options include machines that assist with breathing; oxygen therapy; and artificial surfactant therapy. These treatments should only be administered under the close watch of nenotatal specialists in the NICU, such as neonatal nurse practitioners.
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