Premature babies program on now...
Discussion
One of my daughters friends was born at 23 weeks. First few months were a very tough time, first 14 weeks in hospital and numerous problems in her first few years. She is now 6 years old and quite small for her age but excels in everything she does both academically and physically. Seeing her in her first few weeks I thought a great deal about what sort of life she would be able to have and I'm pleased to say that I was wrong.
Gazboy said:
Mrs G is watching this in the other room, and is getting quite distressed about it. She relayed a fact to me (this may not be 100% correct), that 50% of pm babies will have Cerebral Palsey (sp???), many will have poor eyesight, and one child survived only to live blind, deaf, unable to talk or walk ( I was listening from other room so may have got that wrong btw). Another thing was a type of ventilation which actually causes harm to their lungs, as a by-product to keep them alive (600 breaths per minute, instead of our 20 bpm).
This program wasn't about being 2-3-4 weeks premature, but at the absoloute edge of life (22-24 weeks iirc- the same as the cut off for abortion).
Is it really a life? Is it worth a price worth paying (for the child, not for mum and dad)? Or is all life worth saving?
I don't mean to come across as cold as my post suggests, so please don't get me wrong and flame me.
The statistics are pretty bad, the more premature the baby, the more severely disabled, however, that isn't the case ALL the time, some babies do quite well.
In fact I saw a teenager a few months ago, who was born very premature, but had done really well, needed some laser treatment to her eyes, as a baby, but has had no ill effects.
Its a hard one this. If the baby makes an effort to breathe its classified as a live birth and therefore make doctors more compelled to perform life saving techniques.
In some cases I think it can be selfish to keep tiny babies alive who are going to have no quality of life, if any at the end. The real hard think about that is thats its very hard to tell which babies are going to suffer and which can lead a relatively normal life.
In some cases I think it can be selfish to keep tiny babies alive who are going to have no quality of life, if any at the end. The real hard think about that is thats its very hard to tell which babies are going to suffer and which can lead a relatively normal life.
I think myself lucky, I was born 6 weeks or so early (as I understand it, don't remember a right lot about it). I was taken straight to intensive care and kept on a ventilator for a couple of weeks.
I was about 5lbs I believe.
I am now 6' 3", big and healthy.
So thanks to the doctors / nurses who helped me.
Slightly O/T but I was born in a hospital in York which has since been knocked down and a designer outlet built in its place. Theoretically I might have been born in the Armani shop
I was about 5lbs I believe.
I am now 6' 3", big and healthy.
So thanks to the doctors / nurses who helped me.
Slightly O/T but I was born in a hospital in York which has since been knocked down and a designer outlet built in its place. Theoretically I might have been born in the Armani shop
Gazboy said:
Gazboy said:
Do you know what the actual figures are?
Been a while since I did paediatrics, would have to look it up. I do become involved in prems who develop retinopathy of prematurity, so I can tell you about their eye problems.....
Sounds serious!
Please do tell btw.
Well, basically, premature babies who have poorly developed eyes, can get severe problems with the retina. When babies are placed in high oxygen concentrations, after being born prematurely, when returned to room air, become relatively deprived of oxygen in their retina, the retina responds by growing lots of new and inappropriate blood vessels, which are thinner and crappier than normal. These can bleed and scar and cause retinal detachments in babies.
Lois-PIE said:
eee, this pub is good for meeting useful people!
Oh yes, this place is network central........If I get any pregnancy related issues, I am sure to ask you too.....(although, it seems a little unlikely that I, personally would get such issues... you know what I mean....!!!!)
wedg1e said:
Slightly O/T but I was born in a hospital in York which has since been knocked down and a designer outlet built in its place. Theoretically I might have been born in the Armani shop
Given the history of York, you might also have been born in a Roman knocking-shop...
It just gets better and better
It does make you wonder, though, why some premature babies are kept alive when some are almost nothing more than a lump of jelly. I honestly think that some doctors do it purely so that they can say 'I've kept a baby alive at X weeks' rather than thinking of the quality of life the child will have and the effect it will have on the life of the parents (i.e. probably in and out of hospital for the rest of the childs life).
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