Who asked about the smallest premie?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We are saving 22 weekers...we have had one that weighed 310 grams that lived..but you can guess what he is like. We get alot of kids less than 450 grams and 24 weeks...we have neonatolgists that try to outdo each other.

And FYI...if you deliver at a level III and your baby is over 500 grams and breathing..they will resusitate! At least at our hospital they will.

[Teshiee]

Mine is heavy weight. I had 24 4/7 weeker at 642 grams. My goodness that is tiny. It is a miracle they make it! wow! 310 grams! That is amazing.

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

515 gm, 24 weeker w/ IUGR. Poor little thing got NEC and expired.

[neffie]

smallest prem. my smallest was 22 weeker. 400 grams. survived. no ventilation, just cot oxygen and humidity. no bleeds or nec. we did'nt rescutitate - she just started and kept going herself. :

[SICU Queen]

Okay, I'm just cruising through here cause I thought it might be interesting, and I am totally ignorant to the abbreviations.

NEC, ROP, BPD... help me out please?

And am I assuming correctly that IUGR means some sort of intrauterine growth problem?

Thanks from one who nurses only those who have pubic hair (or had it at some point :))

[live4today, RN]

In the very early part of 1991, I was working at a NC military hospital in Newborn Nursery when a mother delivered a baby who weighed less than 1000 gms. Hospital policy was to "do nothing to save the baby's life, just let the baby die. I couldn't believe they let that baby die! :eek The baby was not transferred ASAP to a university hospital or a hospital that had a NICU, they just let that baby die! I'll never get over that!

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

nurses only those who have pubic hair

OMG, SICU!:chuckle

IUGR: Intrauterine Growth Retardation. (good guess!)

NEC: Necrotizing Entero Colitis

ROP :Retinopothy OF Prematurity

BPD: Broncho Pulmonary Dysplasia

Did I spell every thing right? I'm so tired!:zzzzz

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

Renee, That IS sad! That wasn't that long ago! Geez!

[SICU Queen]

Gee whiz... it's so hard for me to imagine little sweeties with all of those problems.

I remember once I had to run to the NICU at my hospital because Central got our adult tranducers and NI's tiny ones mixed up and they had an emergency with a newborn. It was SO SMALL. I couldn't BELIEVE it. I just can't imagine attempting to nurse something so teeny. (and the NNP told me that baby was huge compared to some they get... WOW)

Thanks for the answers. I feel enlightened now, but still plan to stick to the ones with the pubes... :) (although NI would be QUITE interesting I would imagine.)

[allevi]

I am a mom of a former micro preemie. Born at 26 5/7 weeks she weighed 690 grams, in 1992. Maybe by todays standards she would not be a micro??? Any way I am thankful for all the nurses and physicians that do work to save these babies, because i can't imagine life with out my daughter. She has problems, bpd, tracheostomy, asd, pulmonary hypertension, but she may most likely have had most of these anyway. She had two strikes against her being a premie and having down syndrome. Thanks to all you nurses.

I went to nursing school after having my daughter, and feel it really helps to have had a sick child when i am taking care of sick babies in the hospital.

[unzen]

23 2/7 IUGR Twin girls one was bw 435g, the other was 450g. Both were intubated and got MRSA. One is living with mom, no BPD, once off the vent she really took off. The other got tracheal stenosis from the infection and bad repeatative intubations, was trached and spent about 10 months on our unit all together. Gorgeous little girl, very bright, communicative, loved applesauce. Mom didn't want to take care of her so she went to a children's nursing home. .

[l.rae]

my grandson weighed 2#5oz-29wks. he did super! just wanted togive a GREAT BIG THANKYOU to all you wonderful NICU nurses out there. I'm an ER nurse and didn't know diddley in this specialty..but the nurses were very good educators and very supportive. ofall the wonderful things they did, the most appreciatd was how they protected my grndsn from the newbee residents....Ihad jus started a job in a teaching hosp. a year earlier and I had never worked with residents before. OMG! I didn't realize how stupid someone could be with MD after his name..(another topic entirely). anyway Tyler will be 2 this June. No problems! He did great.. Thanks to all of you LR