Nicholas' First Challenges

Nick wasn't supposed to make his arrival until 2 days after Christmas, so we knew there would be complications due to his early arrival. Shortly before he was born, the Neonatologist
on duty at the hospital came to explain what kind of problems/challenges we would likely see. The things he described are exactly what we are facing now. It is reassuring to know these are developmental issues and not problems specifically with Nicholas.

The primary concern is his breathing. His lungs are immature, and had some fluid in them that wasn't expelled during his very quick birth. They have diagnosed him with RDS, Respiratory Distress Syndrome. This is something they anticipated, and he is expected to outgrow with time. How much time is the part we don't know, so we are having to be patient in waiting to see how his growth and improvement comes.

After the breathing problem is alleviated, there are three critical areas that must be cleared before he could go home.

1. Temperature Regulation - he must be able to maintain a normal body temperature without the warming bed he is in now.

2. Apnea - he must not have periods of forgetting to or just not breathing. This may not show up until he is 7 days old, so it is still something for which we will have to keep an eye out.

3. Feeding - he must be able to eat and digest breastmilk on his own. They will start out by giving him breastmilk directly to his stomach, using a feeding tube. Gradually they will increase the amount he gets and then start working on his being able to take it by mouth - either by bottle or breast.