Rest and Grow

Eli has been in the NICU for five days now. Ever since the scary night, he has done SO much better! There have still been minor set-backs, but for the most part, he is really doing well. He has had five major problems so far:

1. Jaundice

Refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and is excreted as bile through the intestines. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body. Luckily, this is super common and is treated by using Bili Lamps. Depending on his bilirubin count, Eli is treated with either a low intensity lamp or a high intensity lamp. He wears little goggles to protect his eyes from the light. 

2. Respiratory Distress Syndrome 

Occurs in infants whose lungs have not yet fully developed. The disease is mainly caused by a lack of a slippery substance in the lungs called surfactant. This substance helps the lungs fill with air and keeps the air sacs from deflating. Surfactant is present when the lungs are fully developed.

3. PDA 

A condition in which the ductus arteriosus does not close. (The word "patent" means open.) The ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel that allows blood to go around the baby's lungs before birth. Soon after the infant is born and the lungs fill with air, the ductus arteriosus is no longer needed. It usually closes in a couple of days after birth. PDA leads to abnormal blood flow between the aorta and pulmonary artery, two major blood vessels that carry blood from the heart.

He received one three dose round of a drug to help the duct close, and through the Echocardiogram they did today we learned that the duct has closed a little bit! The doctors think that the PDA is what caused the hemorrhage in the lungs. 

4. Low Blood Pressure 

This is also common and is treated using dopamine. He was on the drug for two days and his blood pressure is now normal.

5. High White Blood Cell Count

This is worrisome because white blood cells fight infection, so if the body produces more, that could mean it's trying to fight something off. But Eli's not showing any signs of being sick right now; he's active and moving around.

Premature babies like feeling secure, so the best way to calm them down is to create boundaries and hold them still. 

"Touch Time" is at 3 am, 9 am, 3 pm, and 9 pm. They try to only touch the babies at those times during the day so they can sleep the rest of the day without being interrupted. We get to change his diaper, take his temperature, give oral care, and feed him. 

He tries to find his way through all the wires and tubes to suck his thumb

I've decided that having a baby in the NICU is kind of like having money in the stock market. There can be good days and bad days, but it is better to look at the big picture progress instead of focusing on the tiny set-backs and problems of each day. The nurses and doctors at Presby Plano are fantastic. We are so blessed to be where we are. Overall, Eli has done extremely well; he is very resilient and strong. We get new updates every day, so we'll see what tomorrow has in store for us.