_Stix_Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land


Posted:
hello.. is any one esle as amazed as me to the new that a baby born at 22 weeks is going home today?

https://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/20/tiny.baby.ap/index.html

urm.. just reading the latest news is that the docs are keeping Amillia in..

still she's a wonder that modern medicine has allowed to survive..

I nephew was born at 34 weeks not so long ago.. he was 5 pounds 14 oz.. and we thought he was tiny! He's now 7 pounds 4 as of today - I was a great day when my sister was allowed to take him home.. I hope that Amillia's family feel the same soon..

I honour you as an aspect of myself..

You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..


Rouge DragonBRONZE Member
Insert Champagne Here
13,215 posts
Location: without class distinction, Australia


Posted:
I read that she was born at 21 weeks

But it's incredible stuff!

as long as the pro-lifers shut up. which they wont wink

i would have changed ***** to phallus, and claire to petey Petey

Rougie: but that's what I'm doing here
Arnwyn: what letting me adjust myself in your room?..don't you dare quote that on HoP...


pkBRONZE Member
Lambretta Fanatic
4,997 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
reminds me of my sons birth at 29 weeks... he was a little frail skeleton of a thing. 2lbs 6oz and 36cm tall.

All i can say is i bet i can guess exactly how the parents have felt and will feel with what is still yet to come... as with premature babies... "going home" means nothing whatsoever.

On another note about babies, my cousin had a little boy yesterday smile

GnorBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
5,814 posts
Location: Perth, Australia


Posted:
It does show what innate fight for life some little people have. A 22 week old baby might survive where a 28 week wont.
A 28 week babe may have more will to live than a 36 week.

Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Im in a lonely battle with the world with a fish to match the chip on my shoulder. Gnu in Binnu in a cnu


TinyPixieSILVER Member
enthusiast
394 posts
Location: in the clouds..., United Kingdom


Posted:
It's all about luck I guess, whether they survive...

This is all very topical for me as I delivered my first baby (with the aid of the midwife) on monday... It was the best thing in the world to watch the parents' faces when the baby appeared! aaaaw! smile smile

shoshanahSILVER Member
enthusiast
232 posts
Location: london, United Kingdom


Posted:
My best friend was born at 6 months and was a miracle then, they told her family that she wouldn’t survive and that if she did she would be very slow and small for her age.
She graduated from uni last year and is twice the size of me. I think in most cases its good that they give these baby’s a chance.

I was lucky (well in a way) mine were both 10lb, and yep that brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Still cant wait to do it all again and see my baby girl, not long left now.

life is what you make it and what you want it to be


E_V_I_LMosh-mosh-mosh-mosh.
346 posts
Location: Midlands


Posted:
It's a miracle indeed that these tiny babies survive, but I just sit back and think that either they have some amazing destiny they have to fulfill, or they're that tenacious to cling to live and go from strength to strength that they'll be amazing people when they grow up just for being so strong.

But, I don't have kids myself so I'm probably talking out my bum !

Xbox360 Live ID - Sacred Apollyon

"Enemies you threaten make armies. Enemies you destroy make graves."

"Here is a test to see if your mission on earth is finished: If your alive it isn't."


_Aime_SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,172 posts
Location: Hastings, United Kingdom


Posted:
I saw this on the news and couldnt believe it. She was so tiny!

I was born at 3lbs and have pictures of me being held in the palm of my dads hand.
They had to buy tiny dollys and take the babygrows off them as proper babygrows were too big for me! And the hat that my nan knitted me before I was born coverd my whole head ubblol

Luckily I had got to the 'everything is there, just need to plump out' stage, but I stubbornly refused to plump, so they whipped me out early.

pkBRONZE Member
Lambretta Fanatic
4,997 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
Sorry this may go off topic and personal for me but to share my story on this topic and bring to light another reason about why some babies are born premature.



Premmies tend to have a lot of problems from day one.



My poor little fella was a lucky one, as it wasn't his fault to be born so early.



Due to my girlfriend experiencing difficulties after a month of being pregnant, no doctor could diagnose what was wrong with her.

More or less this continued and her illnesses continued with symptoms varying from headaches lasting several weeks, to partially paralysed legs and blindness yet still after long nights in emergency and week long stay ins on the wards, hundreds of tests and scans... still no joy as to what was wrong with her.



Close monitoring of the baby showed that he had stopped growing inside of the womb and this was caused by blocked veins in the womb, so basically he was being starved.



On the 14th of january 2006, the daily ultrasound was showing bad signs for the baby and after monitoring him for 2 hours they decided to call in the doctors to arrange that the baby be born that evening... ( i was delighted but overly confused and preocupied, and mostly because i didn't understand a word that the doctors were saying in Italian ), at 5.30pm during a second ultrasound the baby had stopped breathing, myself accompanied

by the nurse had to rush Serena to the ground floor delivery room.

At 6.24pm that evening Enea was born, 2lbs 6 oz (1kg 80gms), i was briefly allowed in the the room to see him.. yet i was more worried about my girlfriend at the time. I watched him get weighed and cleaned up, Serena's family were all watching through the window.

I needed to smoke!, so went outside with my brother in law as we were awaiting news on Serena as she still hadn't come out of the delivery room.

After an hour and a half we were greeted by the doctor who then tried to explain all of the complications.



After 30 minutes they finally managed to anaesthetise Serena and begin the caesarian as i was critical to get the baby out as fast as possible.

After which the baby was born, they couldn't wake up Serena from the anaesthetic and then took them 50 minutes to get her round.



When they finally bought her out to a private room where she could be monitored by her mum and the nurses for a short time and them be taken back to the ward.

I have never in my life watched some one in so much pain before in my entire life, and it was most unpleasant to be around, watching her try to scream and cry but couldn't.



I then decided that i wanted to go and see my new son, so with my brother in law we went to the neonatal intensive care unit where he was rushed to.

Upon his arrival he had stopped breathing and had had to be resuscitated and already had an oxygen mask and other tubes being fed to him to keep him alive and stable in his 39 degrees centigrade incubator.



1107RIMG0021



His fight didn't stop there, his weight had dropped to 1kg 10gms. He was in good hands as he had a very good team of nurses and specialist neonatal doctors.

During his first month he had to undergo blood transfusions as his blood was no good, i remember being allowed to feed him for the first time 5gms of milk in a syringe, we had to dress in green gowns and wear masks and wash rigorously our hands before being able to touch him in the incubator.

He contracted a stomach and intestine infection and had to be medicated to fight against that too, at one point he had a tube in his left arm, a tube in his right arm, a tube in his navel, a tube in his left leg, a tube in his right leg and a tube in his nose.... and to top it off size one nappies were like tents! (see above photo)... the nurses made me mile when the put his little red hat on to keep his noggin warm and red being my favourite colour.



So after 30+ days i was finally able to hold him outside of the incubator... oh what a joy that was...



1107Foto_341_



He was out of the incubators at the point of the above photo.. some where after 50 days, 40 days inside a closed one and 10 days in an open incubator. After 50 days he was allowed home but then had to stay in one room only and a steady temperature of 21 degrees... some of the family kept asking to see him but only me and Serena and Grandma were allowed in that room.



For the last year he has been under constant medical supervision, medication, physiotherapy and heaps of other stuff that i don't normally get to see as i have to work.



During the last year after his birth. his mothers illness continued and yet still no body could figure out what was wrong with her.

At one point enough was enough, after 6 visits in one week to emergency they kept her in as she couldn't move.

Finally after another MRI scan some one noticed that she had a stroke in the back of her brain which is why she was paralysed and seemed comatose this same doctor said that he symptoms seems familiar to LUPUS and so called the hospital in Pisa where immediately the following morning she was transferred. I was told at this point that it was life or death and that she was dying if she wasn't treated within 24 hour.. who knows what would have happened. confused thank god for that doctor because of all of the ones there and the private doctors that her parents paid thousands of Euro too did absolutely nothing but prescribe wrong medication which in turn had made her illness worsen.



Finally she was diagnosed with "Subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE) LUPUS" with a serious stroke in the brain.



Begin serious over medication, delirious, comatose, non responsive girlfriend fighting for her life and not knowing a thing that is going on with her. frown she was put on 5 times the normal dosage of cortisone amongst other drugs to stabilise her and keep her with us.

After a month and a half she was able to come home, but he illness is not curable and she will suffer her entire life with it, and also i have to deal with it too, as she can't raise our son alone and needs constant help from her mother, she has to take daily medicines and this week has started a new drug which is kind of like chemotherapy and has all of the side affects with it including hair loss etcetera. frown she will have to do this for 6 months and she is scared stiff bless her.

She is also now 100% classed as an invalid with her illness as she still can not walk etc, in Italy it is hard to get 100%, they are very strict in what they give.. even a tumour on the hearth will get you 15%



So basically that's my little story of my life of the last year of nearly loosing my little miracle son, and near death of my girlfriend twice eek negligent doctors.



And the outcome, a wonderful son



and an even more special girlfriend.



1107emily_111 confused



If you want more information on LUPUS then LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA is a very good and informative website on this illness.



hug << are most welcome!.. but i need a life times worth wink

E_V_I_LMosh-mosh-mosh-mosh.
346 posts
Location: Midlands


Posted:
hug

Dude, stuff like that puts my life well into perspective. To almost lose some that close to you in that way is something I doubt I could deal with. On top of that having a premature son and all the other medical complications would just break me, I'm sure.

Even though it sounds like the future holds a lot of medical issues and stuff, you're all still there to experience it together.

Stay strong dude. peace

Xbox360 Live ID - Sacred Apollyon

"Enemies you threaten make armies. Enemies you destroy make graves."

"Here is a test to see if your mission on earth is finished: If your alive it isn't."


pkBRONZE Member
Lambretta Fanatic
4,997 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
i will if mother in law from hell gets off my case from thinking that i'm a money tree wink

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
I'd like to add to this as well that while there is the common belief that premies end up having issues as adults, it is not the case always.
PWB was born 4 lbs, a couple months early and fit into his dads hand. Keep in mind this was mid-70's before they had alot of the tech they do now.
He's a healthy, fine man with absolutely no issues (unless you count his stubborness, but I usually don't wink )

His brother was born a few years later, a healthy 8lb-something baby. Very normal. He is *severely* asthmatic and has a few issues that would noramlly be equated to premies.

Once they get out of NICU, there is no telling how it will go.

The photo of her next to the ballpoint pen is amazing but the one that gets me is the one where the nurse is holding her little feet, and they remind me of jelly beans. Just...wow.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


Firetrampold hand
898 posts
Location: Binstead, Isle of Wight


Posted:
PK: I have tears in my eyes, what a year but you're so brave and your girlfriend is "lucky" with a boyfriend like you.

There's been discussion in the UK about at what stage to fight for a premmies life and when to just let it die. It's good to see a 22 week old survive and do well. Hopefully that will open some eyes. Babies can fight to survive, even when they're that young and tiny.

Compared to the babies on this thread, my baby was born a giant, being two weeks overdue. I was pregnant for almost 10 months!

Ask a question and be a fool for a minute...don't ask and be a fool your whole life.


pkBRONZE Member
Lambretta Fanatic
4,997 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
I saw once on discovery channel and open heart operation on a premmie that was born 19 weeks!.. i think it was a world record... i was amazed.

I think that in this day and age with all of the technology that we have at hand, premmies have a stronger chance of survival but personally i think most of the fight is from the baby itself.

My ex boss was born prem and she made it fine being kept warm in a shoebox with a towel and hot water bottle, and that was some 50 years ago, she turned out to be a lovely woman.

When my son was born there was also another little girl there wo was born 31 weeks but only 900grams, she had more problems that Enea did, and her mum suffered quite badly with A.D after she was allowed home, which is what most doctors pases Serena off with at first.


However it is not just those premmies that suffer, big babies that are born in normal gestation periods or there about can have problems too.
There was a baby that was 4.5kg eek and he had some very serious problems after he was born and still has regular visits to the hospital as we have to too.

I think that we were most fortunate that the NITU staff were some of the most talented doctors that i have ever seen and couldn't have wished for better staff to take care of Enea.

Enea is still the most premature baby born at our hospital and Ludiveca is the most small, both born within a month of each other and now both fine with very minor health problems.. but a continuation of medication for their first 3 years.
Here we have to pay for medical at the hospital, but the good thing that any premmie doesn't pay any thing for the first three years.

I would like to point out though that premmies seem to be not that rare, ok 22 weeks yes, but any thing 29 weeks and after seems quite normal for the staff at our local hospital, i cant quite remember exactly how many babies had passed through that were premature whilst Enea was there but every visit there they are full.

There are 4 closed incubators, 2 open and two separate nurseries with incubator facilities for the non critical neonatals.

Being a parent makes you realise a lot of good things that happen in the world and really how life is so precious not only to babies but to every one.. i just wish that others realised this and started making some changes to the world rather than judging others and making opinions without knowledge of subjects that they think that they know about.

Firetramp.. congratulations on your and your family, you must still be so proud no matter how big or small your little bundle was, make the most of them whilst their still little.

xx pk

_Stix_Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land


Posted:
I've just been to see my little guy.. He's doing so well - up to 7 pound something now.. still not reached his unbirthday (8th March) he's even starting to lift his head a little! Still swaped by his little coat that I got him tho.. ubblol

big up to premmy babies.. cool ubblove

I honour you as an aspect of myself..

You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..


SunnySammySILVER Member
Watching the Sky
453 posts
Location: Cambridge(ish)/Bath Spa Uni, United Kingdom


Posted:
AW! i love this story! smile

I was prem by 8 weeks and born at 4lb 1/2oz. apparently i couldnt wait to get out because labour didnt take long either biggrin

sunny
I jumped into the river, what did i see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me. wink


_Stix_Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land


Posted:
I was two weeks late... lol.. nothing much has changed.. time keeping is not my best.. lol

I honour you as an aspect of myself..

You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..



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