IronRN

I've often wondered about the benefit of this, our unit routine is to cleans the mouth with sterile h20 after all feedings and with vented babes to moisten the MM's. I'll source that article, very interesting. Thx

I basically agree with everyone on the 22/23 weeks being the cut off due to lung development and anyone out there who claims to have a sub 23 weeker, I'd bet my liscence there are dating issues. My issue is with the term viable, I think when we tell parents antenatally that 23 weeks is the point of "viability" they misinterpret that as meaning "my baby will be ok" Vialbility is a really grey word.... I've seen a number of 23+ weeks infants survive, but none that I can say are truely "normal" in terms of physical, intellectual, sensory, markers, Some will be functioning adults but have disabilities. I have seen many 25 weekers do very well however. I feel that 25 seems to be the point at which at truely well child can result. Our unit standardly wont attend deliveries under 24 weeks/500g which is higher than the unit I previously worked on, the cut off there was 23+0 and 450g. Cheers All

Currently aspiration/auscultation with each "event" so feeding or med. We are currently training staff to implement the ph litmus testing, so this will become the norm in the very near future. I'm not totally sold that it is necessary as I've never seen a tube go in the trachea in 13 years of nursing, seems that there are bigger fish to fry IMHO.