When I started writing this post yesterday, the title was “Earliest Living Preemie Goes Home” but apparently doctors decided not to release her. Just the same, I’m sure she’ll be released soon (within the month). Her story pushes the envelope of medical technology, what doctors understand about viability, and the miracle of NICU medicine.
Little Amilia Taylor was born just under 22 weeks gestational age by cesarean due to complications with the mother. Doctors would not normally deliver a baby this premature but Amilia’s husband misinformed the doctors and said she was at 23 weeks gestation. So they intervened and delivered little Amilia. She is the first baby to be born so early and survive.
Now just to get some perspective go pick up a pencil and an 8oz can of soda. Amilia was born 9 inches long. That’s about 2 inches longer than a new pencil. She weighed 9 ½ ounces–slightly more than your average can of soda. Pictures showed her feet at birth to be about half the size of one of the doctors’ middle fingers. This was one tiny girl.
So why is she not going home? Apparently, routine tests showed she was vulnerable for infection and doctors decided that it just wasn’t worth the risk to send her home quite yet. She has afterall, climbed quite a hill already. She’s spent four months in the hospital so far. She now weighs a whopping 4 ½ pounds and is 15 ½ inches long. (Again for the perspective–she weighs less than a 5 pound bag of flour you’d pick up at the grocery store).
Preemie births account for most of the infant mortality rate in the United States. This is significant because the United States has the 2nd highest infant mortality rate in the world. Preemies cost several billion dollars a year to treat and consequently some countries are even saying that it is unethical to go through ‘heroic measures’ to treat preemies.
Personally, I am amazed at how far technology has gone in a few short years. When I was pg with my first, the age of viability was 28 weeks. That was about 8 years ago. With my twins, the age of viability was down to 24 weeks.
We have a forum for parents of preemies!
Related Articles:
A Unique Baby Shower for Preemies
Multiply the Love: Preterm Twins
Principles in Breastfeeding Preemies