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Premature Infants
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Hello Everyone!
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I have created this page to provide support & information to families of preemies. I include at the bottom links to some very helpful & informative sites adressing prematurity. We ourselves have given birth to 5 preemies, with gestational ages ranging from 26 to 33 weeks, & birth weights from 1# 13oz to 5# 2oz. I searched the web for sites that would provide HONEST information about the medical issues & futures of premature infants. Be sure to follow Medical Information link below & visit that site, which provides definitions to the medical terms you may hear in the NICU, along with comprehensive information about a preemies chance of both survival & disability. God Bless you all in your journey through the life of a little one!
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Emilee's Story
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Emilee Grace came into this world via emergency cesarean section on March 22nd, 1999. She was 14 weeks premature, weighing only 1 pound 13 ounces. Emilee had a rough start. She had severe septicemia at birth which caused her blood to leak from her capillaries. She developed pneumothorax hours later, which is a condition caused by the high pressures of manual ventilation. One of her tiny lungs was burst, requiring a chest tube to be put in her side. While that brought relief, it wa short-lived. Emilee's blood pressure was falling steadily & she was still not oxygenating well. She had a cardiac ultrasound that showed she had PDA (patent ductus arteriosis), where a valve in her heart that noramlly closes at birth failed to do so. Her heart was not effectively pumping blood to her lungs. Treatment with Indomethacin closed the valve, & no surgery was required. At 2 weeks of age Emilee developed glucose intolerance. The IV feedings she was living on were causing her blood sugar to rise to unsafe levels. Insulin was given & the amount of sugar in her feedings was decreased. With the decrease in calories came a week long weight loss. Emilee went from 822 grams (her birth weight) down to 711 grams at her lowest. Week 3 begins with an infection in Emilee's airway. Antibiotics & extra oxygen see us through this time. Emilee weighs 960 grams now (April 10th, 1999) & is recovering slowly from her long journey. I will post frequent updates on her progress on this page.
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Preemie Parents Fund
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When my membranes ruptured with Emilee, I was sent on a flight-for-life plane to a hospital 8 hours from my home. I left behind four other children, & remained hospitalized for two weeks. After my recovery from the cesarean, I ws forced to return home to care for my other children & to leave my fragile baby girl up there all alone. I have started a fund to help families like mine when they experience the birth of a preemie. While I expect funds will be limited, especially at first, I hope to provide families in need with assistance for their miscellaneous expenses. I was left 8 hours from home with no clothes & absolutely no money in hand. They are quick to fly patients to these places, but never to help them get home. If you are experiencing the same troubles, please send an e-mail directly to the address below & I will quickly relpy offering any help I can. If you are able to contribute to this much-needed fund, please follow the Preemie Parent's Fund link below to donate $10. Thank you & "God Bless The Little People"!
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Favourite links
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