• Surgeons use a range of tools in the operating theater.Ready for surgery image by DGGallery from Fotolia.com
  
  Neonatal nurses and healthcare staff tend to the health of babies shortly after birth. They use a range of instruments to ensure that infants reach and maintain healthy body functions. Surgeons perform invasive procedures on seriously ill or injured babies to restore them to good health, using a variety of intricate tools to access required bodily areas with minimal damage.
  
  

Forceps

• Surgical forceps resemble a set of tweezers. They are used to push aside and hold in place skin tissue and organs during surgical procedures. Some forceps come with specially adapted teeth at their ends, which are ideal for securing skin tissue in place so investigative surgery can be continued. Others come with broader, hollow points that can securely attach to an organ. Forceps are sometimes used for baby delivery and emergency operations, but are not modified for use on newborns.
  
  

Scalpel

• There are many types of sizes of scalpels used during surgical procedures. Scalpels are essentially sharp knives adept at cutting through flesh with minimal extraneous damage. Scalpel handles can be formed from a range of metal types. Scalpels come in a range of specialized blade types, each tailored for particular surgical procedures. Scalpels are sometimes used during Caesarean sections or for emergency surgery after birth, but are not modified for use on infants.
  
  

Needle holders

• Surgeons use needle holders to secure a suturing needle when closing wounds in body cavities. They use clamps to press down on the tips of the needles, then pull the needle through the flesh to secure the stitches. Some needle holders can be securely locked to allow a surgeon greater flexibility when stitching up skin tissue. Handles on needle holders are often texture to prevent slippage.
  
  

Modified Stethoscopes

• Neonatal nurses use stethoscopes to check a baby's heartbeat to ensure there are no murmurs or signs of irregular functioning. Stethoscopes can also be used to assess whether a baby has a buildup of fluid in its lungs. If fluid is present, it may be due to respiratory infection. Stethoscopes used by neonatal nurses are typically much smaller than conventional models to allow for the small size and fragility of a newborn.
  
  

Respiratory Masks

• The use of oxygen masks are common in neonatal nursing wards. Masks offer assistance to newborn babies who are finding it hard to breathe by themselves. Newborn babies typically have a much smaller lung capacity than adults, making breathing difficult. Other babies may have breathing problems due to a respiratory infection contracted soon after birth. Newborns who contract pneumonia may also be assisted with oxygen masks.
  
  

Incubating Chambers

• Incubators keep newborn babies warm and help them recover or maintain a healthy body temperature. Incubators are used to help babies who are born with fat deficiencies resulting in a dangerously low body temperature. In addition to stabilizing temperature, incubators also prevent babies from contracting infectious diseases. Babies born prematurely are particularly prone to infection.