Episode 18: Catch-22. The story of Lucas, born at 22 weeks
I wanna hold your hand…
Savannah and her husband Andrew knew that they were going to have a baby in the NICU based on some early ultrasounds that were concerning for amniotic band syndrome and low amniotic fluid levels. But they weren’t expecting to deliver at 22-23 weeks.
Lucas was in the NICU from October through March. Lucas was 1 lb, 3oz at birth and mom finally got to see him at 19hrs of age. His NICU course was complicated by a PDA ligation, pulmonary hypertension, and ROP requiring laser eye surgery. After his PDA ligation, Lucas was extremely unstable, and it was unclear whether he would be able to recover from his surgery. Mom was called to the bedside to hold him, and he slowly rallied over the next 3 hours, began to stabilize, and started weaning on his oxygen support, a testament to the power of kangaroo care.
Kangaroo Care is good for babies and Mamas. (And Dads too!!)
Lucas went home feeding everything by the bottle, with oxygen, and on a monitor. After discharge, he had more difficulty with feeding. He ended up having a swallow study that showed significant aspiration, requiring a home NG and ultimately a G-tube. The G-tube was delayed for months as they were working up bradycardia, an ASD, and a pulmonary collateral vessel. Lucas’s parents learned so much about advocating for their child through their NICU stay and the multiple medical problems they had to investigate after discharge. Here are the highlights:
Do not go in as a know-it-all.
Go in with knowledge and don’t be afraid to advocate and ask questions.
Stay away from Dr. Google.
Look at me now!