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Thread: So, what's the likely prognosis for my coworker's grandchildren?

  1. #1
    Indifferent to bacon Julie's avatar
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    Default So, what's the likely prognosis for my coworker's grandchildren?

    One of my coworkers has a daughter who on Friday gave birth to twins at 24 weeks gestation.

    Both babies are alive, and both are around 1.5 pounds, which I understand to be pretty decent size? They both need surgery for PDA (they were scheduled for today, but I don't know if they had the surgeries).

    Long-term, what's the like prognosis for these wee ones?

  2. #2
    Stegodon
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    Default Re: So, what's the likely prognosis for my coworker's grandchildren?

    1.5 pounds is decent size for 24 weekers? Maybe, but preemies (aren't they actually micro-preemies at that size?) face all sorts of risks and a real prognosis can only be made by the doctors who can evaluate them. More micropreemies are surviving than ever before, we are developing new techniques and therapies all the time, so there's that, at least. But even a partial list of potential complications they face is daunting.

    Some of the many difficulties that a micropreemie experiences are immature lungs, an underdeveloped digestive system, cerebral hemorrhaging, high risk of infection, incomplete feeding reflexes, severe anemia, neurological delays, physical handicaps, and long term health issues. Because of so many problems associated with being a micropreemie, medical intervention to keep micropreemies alive include biliblankets, blood pressure monitors, cardiac monitors, endotracheal tubes, isolettes, intravenous pumps & tubes, nasal CPAPs, nasal gastric tubes, nasal prongs, oxyhoods, oxygen saturation monitors, phototherapy lights, pulse oximeters, respiratory monitors, synthetic surfactant, temperature probes, UACs, ultrasounds, UVCs, and ventilators.
    From here.

    Remember WhyNot had a micropreemie a few years ago who's doing wonderfully well now. She had lots of medical intervention in the NICU and responded well, and I remember she had physical therapy as a baby to help with her muscle coordination and fine motor skills, but the thing to remember is that she's healthy, developed and doing very well now as a pre-schooler. So your coworker's grandkids (and parents!) have a tough road ahead, but with good treatment and great luck they might be just fine and catch up by the time they're school age.
    Science flies you to the moon; religion flies you into buildings.

  3. #3
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Default Re: So, what's the likely prognosis for my coworker's grandchildren?

    WhyNot's on a long camping trip right now, but she should be back pretty soon. As Queen Tonya says, she's got plenty of experience & knowledge about micropreemies. I've heard that 24 weeks is really the dividing line between not having enough gestation time and having JUST enough for the baby to make it, and also that the survival rate for 24-28 week gestation has improved radically over the last few years. I don't know much about all the therapies they need, though. I think QT is right that it's going to be tough, but hopefully they will be OK.

  4. #4
    Indifferent to bacon Julie's avatar
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    Just as an update, both boys are still alive. One developed MRSA, but I think has recovered. I haven't heard anything new about their prognosis at this point.

  5. #5
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Thanks for the update, Julie. I was thinking of these babies just the other day and wondering how they were doing. Glad to hear they've made it so far!

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