NICU
Oxygen Management / Respiratory Care
Ventilator
A ventilator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a machine that is used to breathe for an infant when the baby is incapable breathing on its own. A ventilator simulates breaths by basically inflating and deflating the infant's lungs.
Premature babies in particular will not have fully developed their lungs, so the baby must be placed on a respiratory breathing machine, such as a ventilator. This is considered life support.
There are many different types of ventilators in use today, each to accommodate specific NICU needs.