Glossary

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Heart Rate The number of heart beats per minute
Heel Stick A procedure in which a newborn's heel is pricked so that a small amount of blood can be collected in order to be used to do newborn screening tests
Humidity Water in molecular vapor form; Absolute humidity is a measure of the actual content or weight of water present in a given volume of air; Relative humidity is the ratio of actual water vapor present in a gas to the capacity of the gas to hold the vapor at a given temperature
Hyperbilirubinemia A high level of bilirubin in the blood
Hypercapnea An elevated level of carbon dioxide in the blood; PaC02 typically over 45 mmHg
Hypersomnia Excessively deep or prolonged sleep period; Symptom is described as excess sleepiness
Hypnogogic Startle A "sleep start" or sudden body jerk (hypnic jerk, observed normally just at sleep onset)
Hypopnea Breathing that is shallower or slower than normal during sleep
Hypotonia Decreased muscle tone (temporary paralysis); Usually present during REM to prevent sleepers form acting out dreams
Hypoxemia( ) A reduced level of oxygen in the blood
Hypoxia An abnormal condition in which the oxygen available to the body cells is inadequate to meet their metabolic needs

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