Tuesday
Uses for this Blog
This blog was created for parent's and families of children in a NICU. I want to make available to you resources in one place that are out there for families that find themselves with sick babies. As you read this, please ignore the dates. You are actually reading the oldest posts first and the newest posts last. I hope that you find this sight helpful.
Sunday
Preemie Weight Conversion Chart
I have provided a link to convert your babies weight from grams (what the hospital weighs the babies in) to pounds and ounces, something more familar to the general public. To use the chart in the link first, locate on the chart the babies weight in grams. Then, locate the numbers to the left for pounds and to the top for ounces. Your babies nurse can also convert this for you.
http://www.babylinq.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=108
Friday
What Makes Me an "Expert"
I am no expert, just a mom who learned a lot about resources out there for parents of preemies and/or children with disabilities. Donavon, our son was born on February 9, 2007 weighing 1 lb and 8oz. He was a micro preemie, a 24 weeker, our tiny miracle. He was transported from Baptist North to "big" Baptist and I didn't get to see him again until February,11. Nothing can prepare a parent who is seeing their preemie for the first time. He was 9 inches long and beet red, his skin was transparent. He had so many tubes and wires coming off of him, and yet the first thing I focused on was just how perfect he was.
He would not stay long at Baptist though, he had obstacle after obstacle that Baptist could not deal with. The Doctor's are wonderful there, they just are not equip for extreme cases.Donavon was born with *brain bleeds, grades 3 and 4 the highest on the scale. This was a pressing issue the days after he was born, but were soon overshadowed by a condition called *NEC (Necrotizing Entercolitis). When Donavon was fed by feeding tube for the first time his intestines were not prepared to digest food and perforated. His abdomen turned black and he was on the brink of kidney failure for 48 hours. He was getting blood and platelets around the clock and many medicines as well. Finally, with prayers from around the state and a wet diaper, he pulled through it. To this day every Doctor that sees him tells us what a blessing it was that he pulled through.
Surgery #1, March 22, 2007: Six weeks after he arrived at Baptist he was transported to Arkansas Children's Hospital. Within hours of his arrival he was in emergency surgery to save his life. Donavon's bowels not only perforated in 1 place but in 3, the surgeon said this was very rare. After 3 long hours of surgery Donavon came out doing great and continued to heal over the next several months.
Surgery #2, April 23, 2007: Donavon had a condition in both eyes called *Retinopathy that needed surgery to ensure vision. This typically takes 30 min. per eye, but Donavon took 1 hr per eye. The surgery was a success, at this time he wears glasses for near sightedness.
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He would not stay long at Baptist though, he had obstacle after obstacle that Baptist could not deal with. The Doctor's are wonderful there, they just are not equip for extreme cases.Donavon was born with *brain bleeds, grades 3 and 4 the highest on the scale. This was a pressing issue the days after he was born, but were soon overshadowed by a condition called *NEC (Necrotizing Entercolitis). When Donavon was fed by feeding tube for the first time his intestines were not prepared to digest food and perforated. His abdomen turned black and he was on the brink of kidney failure for 48 hours. He was getting blood and platelets around the clock and many medicines as well. Finally, with prayers from around the state and a wet diaper, he pulled through it. To this day every Doctor that sees him tells us what a blessing it was that he pulled through.
Surgery #1, March 22, 2007: Six weeks after he arrived at Baptist he was transported to Arkansas Children's Hospital. Within hours of his arrival he was in emergency surgery to save his life. Donavon's bowels not only perforated in 1 place but in 3, the surgeon said this was very rare. After 3 long hours of surgery Donavon came out doing great and continued to heal over the next several months.
Surgery #2, April 23, 2007: Donavon had a condition in both eyes called *Retinopathy that needed surgery to ensure vision. This typically takes 30 min. per eye, but Donavon took 1 hr per eye. The surgery was a success, at this time he wears glasses for near sightedness.
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Thursday
NICU Equipment
I found this sight helpful in better understanding the equipment in the NICU.
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/PrematureBabies/NICU-Equipment.aspx?articleID=9429&categoryID=PI-nh1-11a
What Makes Me an Expert Continued...
Sending your baby to surgery never gets easier, as the parent you hold it together and comfort your baby because you have to be their strength. Prayer plays a large role in our lives, it is never far from our minds that we would not have Donavon had the Lord decided it was time to bring him home. Other thing's that gave us piece of mind was knowing he would not remember this when he was older and like most babies, he was so incredibly resilient. Donavon would typically be wide awake and in good spirits in the recovery room following most of his surgeries.
Surgery #3, May 9, 2007: A Ventricular Access Device was placed in Donavon's head due to "water on the brain", *Hydrocephalus. The brain bleeds made his brain unable to drain spinal fluid off of it. His head began to swell and the Doctor's watched it closely. He had a spinal tap as well as the fluid drained directly off of his brain when the Doctor's realized something had to be done quickly. The device allowed Doctor's to drain the fluid off with out being invasive to his brain which would make for an increased chance for infection. This device was a temporary answer, a *shunt would be placed at a later date for a long term solution. This surgery lasted 30 min.
Surgery #4, May 10, 2007: Donavon's intestines appeared to be healthy enough to have them put back in place, they were working well. During this surgery he also had a *G-Tube placed to feed him through for an extended period of time. The surgery went great, the Doctor's were very pleased with the results from the initial surgery, no more bowel had died, it was all in working order. The surgery took 3 hours.
Surgery #3, May 9, 2007: A Ventricular Access Device was placed in Donavon's head due to "water on the brain", *Hydrocephalus. The brain bleeds made his brain unable to drain spinal fluid off of it. His head began to swell and the Doctor's watched it closely. He had a spinal tap as well as the fluid drained directly off of his brain when the Doctor's realized something had to be done quickly. The device allowed Doctor's to drain the fluid off with out being invasive to his brain which would make for an increased chance for infection. This device was a temporary answer, a *shunt would be placed at a later date for a long term solution. This surgery lasted 30 min.
Surgery #4, May 10, 2007: Donavon's intestines appeared to be healthy enough to have them put back in place, they were working well. During this surgery he also had a *G-Tube placed to feed him through for an extended period of time. The surgery went great, the Doctor's were very pleased with the results from the initial surgery, no more bowel had died, it was all in working order. The surgery took 3 hours.
Tuesday
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is dedicated to finding answers regarding premature births and low weight babies. There is good information for NICU parents throughout the website as well as ways you can get involved with this cause if your interested. http://www.marchofdimes.com/
Monday
NICU Terms and Definitions
This is a sight that I found to be helpful when I was looking for definitions on NICU terms.
http://www.ttmf.org/glossary.html
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