Table of Contents
- Overview
- Prevention
Oxygen is a gas that the cells in your body need to work properly. The air we breathe normally has 21% oxygen. A maximum of 100% oxygen can be given.
WHY IS OXYGEN USED?
Babies with heart or lung problems may need increased amounts of oxygen.
HOW IS OXYGEN DELIVERED?
There are several different ways to deliver oxygen to a baby. It depends on how much oxygen is needed and whether the baby requires a breathing machine.
An oxygen hood is used for babies who can breathe on their own but still need extra oxygen. A hood is a plastic dome or box with warm, moist oxygen inside. The hood is placed over the baby's head.
A thin, soft, plastic tube called a nasal cannula may be used instead. This tube has soft prongs that gently fit into your baby’s nose. Oxygen flows through the tube. The baby must be able to breathe without assistance in order to use this type of oxygen therapy.
Another alternative is a nasal CPAP system. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. A CPAP machine delivers oxygen through tubes with soft nasal prongs, but the air is under higher pressure, which helps the lungs better expand (inflate).
Review Date: 12/17/2009
Reviewed By: Kimberly G Lee, MD, MSc, IBCLC, Associate Professor of Pediatrics,
Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina,
Charleston, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
