Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a condition that causes the contents (or some of the contents) of the stomach to go back up into the esophagus and sometimes all the way back up to the back of the mouth and down into the trachea. When this happens we say that a baby aspirates the gastric contents, and this can create a serious strain on the respiratory system. When GER occurs and is severe, the upper end of the baby’s airway may close in an attempt to prevent stomach contents from going into the lungs; this may be a contributing factor to apnea and/or bradycardia in a baby. Read the rest of this entry »
Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER)
Gastrointestinal Problems – Follow-Up Care for Your Baby
As trying as it is for both you and your baby, by the time of discharge, most babies who have had an ostomy procedure are recovered and their healthy intestines are absorbing the nutrients they need for growth. Occasionally, even with the knowledge that their baby will have to return in a matter of months for follow-up surgery, the family of a baby with a colostomy will want their baby to come home prior to reattachment. Under certain circumstances the parents will discuss this option with their doctor, who may agree that such a move would be in the best interest of the family and the baby. Naturally, appropriate steps will need to be taken so that the family is educated in their baby’s care. Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
When NEC advances and Your Baby Needs Surgery
If NEC advances to the point where medical therapies are not sufficient to control it, surgical treatment may be necessary. One of the complications of NEC is that a baby may develop a perforation of the intestines. A perforation is a hole in the intestines that permits intestinal contents to leak out into the abdominal cavity. The usual course for treating a perforated intestine is surgery. The surgeon will attempt to remove any of the dead bowel (intestine) that he does not think will survive. The type of surgery performed will depend on which part of the intestines are damaged, what needs to be removed, and what part of the bowel needs to be taken to the abdominal surface. Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)
The neonatologist will proceed cautiously with a feeding strategy because of concerns about the possibility that feeding may be a contributing factor in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) occurs primarily in premature babies, affecting as many as 4,000 newborns in the United States each year. The increasing incidence of NEC in the past 20 years seems to be associated with improved survival rates for premature babies. The thinking used to be that occurrences of NEC were most likely to occur in the second week of life in an infant being cared for in the NICU. Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
Gastrointestinal Problems – Caring for Your Premature Baby’s Needs
The gastrointestinal system of the premature baby is likely to be affected by the same shared factor that may influence neurological and respiratory systems: incomplete intrauterine development. Our growing understanding of pregnancy and the intrauterine environment have guided our efforts to support premature babies in their extrauterine settings. From the neurological perspective, we make attempts to buffer a premie’s interaction with the very different environment outside the womb; that is much of what NIDCAP has sought to do in recent years. As for supporting the premature baby‘s respiratory system Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
How to Support the Neurological Needs of Your Premature Baby
In the first months of your baby‘s life it is hard to say what, if any, the developmental implications will be. The most important thing for parents to understand is that they need to be advocates for their children from the very beginning. After discharge from the hospital, an early intervention or infant stimulation program can be enormously helpful for significantly premature babies (those born at less than 30 weeks gestation). Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
Neurological Problems – Hydrocephalus, Periventricular Leukomalacia and Neurological Deficits
Hydrocephalus
If your baby has a PV-IVH, your doctor will closely monitor the development of his head circumference. If there is an unusual increase in the rate of head growth, there is the reasonable concern that hydrocephalus may be developing. This will most likely be documented on repeat head ultrasounds. The term hydrocephalus refers to an abnormal collection of fluid on the brain that can cause pressure on the brain tissue, the result of which may be brain damage. The urgency is to diagnose and treat the hydrocephalus before brain damage occurs. Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
Neurological Problems – PV-IVH
Periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (internal bleeding in the brain that is also referred to as IVH) is a condition that is usually unique to the premature baby. In 90% of cases, it occurs within 3 days of birth. Diagnosis is made by ultrasound of the brain. If severe, it may be associated with the subsequent development of hydrocephalus, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the brain’s ventricles, which are the open spaces in the brain tissue that carry fluid and probably serve to decrease the weight of the brain. It is certainly accurate to say that the incidence of periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage increases in younger, sicker babies. Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
What Can You Do to Help Your Baby in the NICU?
The short answer is – plenty! Supporting the healthy development of your premature baby’s nervous system begins in the hospital when he is born. Most neonatal units are very supportive of having parents involved in their baby’s care from the very beginning. The dedicated nursing staff will help you to familiarize yourself with several important ways in which parents of premature babies can support their development:
• Positioning One of the first things parents of a premature baby may notice is that their baby assumes an extended rather than a flexed position after birth. As a baby grow in utero, its limbs and body are supported by amniotic fluid, the head and neck is bent forward, and legs and arms are drawn up and held close to the body, assuming the classic “fetal” or flexed position. After delivery, the effect of gravity Read the rest of this entry »
Share and Enjoy
Brain Development
In recent years, researchers into the wonders of the human mind have been excited to discover that the structure of the human nervous system is not genetically hardwired at birth, as had been previously assumed. Instead, the neural wiring of a newborn infant’s brain continues to develop after birth in response to its new surroundings and experiences. The developing nervous system of the unborn baby is also affected by its intrauterine environment. The growing baby floats in a sea of amniotic fluid, contained within the uterus that, neuro-behaviorally speaking, becomes familiar territory.
The developing nervous system is influenced by hormonal and other complex chemical changes that are a natural part of the progress of pregnancy. The unborn baby’s developing neurological impulses are also influenced by the world outside – he is along for the ride as his mother goes about the business of living. Read the rest of this entry »