Youngest preemies

Specialties NICU

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I am trying to do some research on the youngest babies to survive in the N.I.C.U. around the world. In Adelaide Sth. Australia we recently had a baby boy born at 22 weeks and 6 days gestation.He had many of the usual problem associated with being so prem, but apparently is doing really well now.

Could you all help me find out the youngest surviving extreme preemies. Obviously patient confidentiality is very important, so basically all I need to know is for example:"a baby born at 22weeks and 4 days, the hospital and perhaps the year of birth."

I am really only trying to find out the babies born under 24 weeks. So if you could help by telling me the ones born between 21 weeks(I think only little amelia from america was born this young) and 24 at your hospital, I would be really appreciative of your help. Thank you and keep up the great we work of saving these little miracles.

. Even now no-one seems to understand what we went through

Just wanted to add: they never will. :lol2: No one gets it until it happens to them. If you want to discuss NICU with non-NICU people you'll be in for trouble. They just don't get it.

It's the same reason you often can't convince people about viability. Tell someone that 23 weeks or 22 weeks is viability and they'll say something like "Why not 21? I mean it's just a week. Plus, my grandma was born at 21 weeks and she's just fine"... It almost makes my head ache, but I learned to let it go;)

My daughter was born at 23 2/7, 1 pound, 10.5 inchs. We spent 107 days in the NICU and came home on O2. She is now 4 and 1/2 and is 30 pounds. She goes to pre-school and has speech therapy one day a week at school. She had PDA surgery will in the hospital, and just had surgery to strighten one of her eyes.

Other than her long skinny head and a few scares you would not be able to tell that she was a preemie. She is taller than most kids her age and gets into trouble just as much.

I have a friend who gave birth at 26 weeks, and her daughter is 12 now and is completely normal. And she too has this very oval face, unlike either of her parents. What causes that? She did start kindergarten a year late, because she just wasn't ready, but I understand that is not necessarily due to any developmental delays.

BTW, they are divorced but not because of this. It would have happened anyway, and the divorce was amicable and her father remains very active in her life.

My understanding is that survival is impossible before 21 weeks because the lungs do not function. As for Grandma being a 21-weeker, the chances are her parents were married 21 weeks before she was born. :uhoh3:

Specializes in NICU.
And she too has this very oval face, unlike either of her parents. What causes that?

CPAP head!!! :lol2:

It comes from the (sometimes a leeettle too tight) caps the babies wear to hold the CPAP tubing in place. Also sometimes they get left on one side or t'other for long enough that they get head molding.

Specializes in NICU.
CPAP head!!! :lol2:

It comes from the (sometimes a leeettle too tight) caps the babies wear to hold the CPAP tubing in place. Also sometimes they get left on one side or t'other for long enough that they get head molding.

I think some of the time the CPAP hat is on there too tight because it wasn't made to fit the "preemie" head. I swear they were all made to fit nice round heads... something (especially these chronics) definitely don't have!

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

It's not just CPAP equipment that causes preemies' skulls to appear elongated. It is the fact that the babies have missed out on developing in a fluid-filled environment where their heads, limbs, and every other body part floats freely, avoiding pressure that causes molding.

Water beds, frequent position changes, proper developmental care, etc. help to minimize molding and mal-positioning, but nothing is 100% effective in preventing it, to my knowledge.

Specializes in NICU.
nothing is 100% effective in preventing it, to my knowledge.

No kidding...

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Toaster heads. Single slice or double?

I think they have an "elfie" look.

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