NFP App Unravels Medical Jargon Involving Sick Babies

A Not for Profit smart phone application has been developed to help parents of premature and sick babies understand the medical speak they face in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU).

Australian charity, Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, says the NICU Words application provides simple, clear explanations for the machinery and medical terms that are commonplace in NICU.

“Having a child that is born either prematurely or unwell exposes you very quickly to the overwhelming world of NICU, where it can often seem like medical staff are speaking a foreign language,” said Parool Shah, founding Director of Life’s Little Treasures Foundation .

“This free application lets parents decode the jargon, helping them follow their baby’s progress and giving them the confidence to ask any medical questions they might have.”

Features of the application include a concise list of medical terms and medical machinery, as well as a description of the roles of the medical personnel working in NICU.

Every year in Australia, approximately 15% of infants are admitted to neonatal intensive and special care units each year – which equates to around 120 babies a day.

“Information, education and resources are vital to empower families and to help them to achieve the best outcomes for their babies,” said Dr Gehan Roberts, a Developmental-Behavioural Paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital and a NHMRC Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

“An application like NICU Words is a much needed and welcome resource for a family’s NICU journey".

The Life’s Little Treasures Foundation was formed in 2005 by mothers of premature babies, and operates nationally to provide information, support, friendship and assistance to families of premature and sick babies.

The NICU Words application can be downloaded from iTunes free of charge and will soon be available for Android phones.

To download the app, visit www.lifeslittletreasures.org.au.