Equipment

Can I hold my baby if he or she is on a ventilator?
What do ventilator settings mean?
What are some of the other challenges my baby might face if he or she is on a ventilator?
What do the alarms mean?
Why is my baby on this type of support? How is it helping?
How long will my baby be on this type of support?

A nasal cannula provides air flow and oxygen in your baby’s nose. The flow typically starts at 1 liter per minute and may be decreased in small increments. The oxygen provided by the nasal cannula can range from 21% (room air) to 100% depending on your baby’s needs.

Like a nasal cannula, a HHNC provides air flow and oxygen to your baby’s nose. The only difference is that the HHNC is heated and humidified gas so the flow can be as high as 8 liters per minute. The flow can be as low as 1 liter per minute. The oxygen provided by the HHNC can range from 21% (room air) to 100% depending on your baby’s needs.

CPAP is a treatment that helps keep the lungs open. CPAP does not breathe for a baby, but assists the baby's breathing by giving extra air around the nose and mouth.
CPAP can be given to your baby by a mask that fits over the nose, or by small short tubes that go into the nostrils. The oxygen provided by CPAP can range from 21% (room air) to 100% depending on your baby’s needs.
SiPAP (also called Bi Level CPAP) gives two levels of CPAP to babies, one right after another. For some babies, SiPAP can help to keep the airways and lungs open better than CPAP alone.

A plastic tube which goes from a baby’s nose or mouth past the vocal cords and into the windpipe used to connect the baby to a breathing machine. The tube is taped to your baby’s face to keep it in place. This tape will have to be replaced on occasion when it gets loose.

The conventional ventilator is a machine that helps your baby breathe by delivering air and oxygen directly to the lungs through an endotracheal tube (ETT). An ETT is a plastic tube that goes from a baby’s nose or mouth past the vocal cords and into the upper windpipe so that the conventional ventilator can help with most or all of the breathing.

The HFJV is a type of breathing machine that gives small puffs (jets) of air at a much faster rate than a conventional ventilator. The HFJV is helpful to keep your baby stable when the conventional ventilator is not effective.

The oscillator is a type of breathing machine that moves small breaths of air in and out at a much faster rate than a conventional ventilator. The oscillator is helpful to keep your baby stable when the conventional ventilator is not effective.