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Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Zadie’s Story: Go! Baby,
Go!
When Zadie Brown was born 12 weeks early,
she weighed only 2 pounds, 2 ounces.
“I worried that every
breath would be her last,” says Zadie’s mom, Meghan
Chapple-Brown, with tears in her eyes.
Because of serious pregnancy
complications, Zadie was born at only 28 weeks. She spent 46 days
in Holy Cross Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU),
the largest NICU in the state.
“The medical and emotional
support from the NICU staff and love of family and friends is what
got us through,” says the 36-year-old mother.
Highest-Quality
Care
While all premature babies are at risk for health problems,
those born before 32 weeks are at greater risk for serious complications.
The biggest challenge for Zadie was a significant breathing problem
called respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Babies with RDS lack
a protein called surfactant, which keeps small air sacs in the
lungs from collapsing. Zadie was treated with replacement surfactant
to coat her lungs and to allow for easier breathing, and a small
plastic tube placed in her nose continuously delivered pressurized
air to her lungs.
“We offer the highest degree of quality
care for critically ill newborns,” says Sharon Kiernan, MD,
medical director, Neonatology Services. “Our Level IIIB NICU
features state-of-the-art technology to treat babies who are born
early or have medical complications that require constant observation
or specialized care.”
Because of her underdeveloped central
nervous system, Zadie sometimes stopped breathing, a condition
called apnea. Babies in the NICU are constantly monitored for apnea.
When external stimulation does not remind the baby to start breathing,
a nurse quickly covers the baby’s face with a mask to pump
oxygen into the lungs.
“Zadie had to be resuscitated twice,
and it was terrifying,” Meghan says. “The nurses were
very calm and very professional. They and the doctors were always
reassuring us while keeping us in touch with the realities that
Zadie faced.”
Another common problem found in premature
babies is a heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).
Before birth a large artery lets blood bypass the lungs, because
the fetus gets its oxygen through the placenta. This artery normally
closes soon after birth so that blood can travel to the lungs to
get oxygen. When the artery does not close properly, it can lead
to heart failure.
A specialized form of ultrasound, called
echocardiography, helped physicians diagnose Zadie with PDA, and
medication helped close the artery.
Prepared for Complications
The NICU team – including
neonatologists (physicians who specialize in newborn care), registered
nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, physical therapists, respiratory
therapists, social workers, case managers and lactation consultants – also
carefully monitored Zadie for common medical complications faced
by premature babies, including the inability to maintain body temperature,
brain damage, vision loss, jaundice and reflux.
Coordinating patient
care in the NICU is a nurse navigator, who works with each family
to answer questions and to ensure that each baby has everything
he or she needs to thrive. For families interested in spiritual
support, chaplains are available to patients and families of all
faiths and beliefs.
“We couldn’t have asked for better
care and attention from Holy Cross Hospital’s doctors and
nurses,” Meghan says. “We were there for two months,
and they became our family. I have the utmost confidence in their
care and trust in their staff.”
Holy Cross Hospital delivers
more babies than any other hospital in Maryland or the District
of Columbia.
“And if pregnancy complications occur, we offer
a unique on-call service through which obstetricians can consult
with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and admit high-risk patients
to Holy Cross Hospital under the specialist’s care,” says
Ann B. Burke, MD, medical director, Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Ongoing Support
Reminiscing about Zadie’s discharge from
the NICU, Meghan says, “Taking Zadie home for the first time
was an amazing and wonderful day.”
But leaving the NICU and
going home also can be scary because physicians and nurses are
no longer providing around-the-clock care. To ease the transition,
a Holy Cross Home Care nurse visited the Brown family the very
next day. The home care nurse did a full assessment of Zadie and
during the next three visits helped the family with breathing and
feeding difficulties.
“Today, there are no lingering medical
issues, and she has caught up to her peers,” Meghan says.
All her NICU worries are behind her. “Zadie loves to dance,” Meghan
says. “You should see her salsa. It’s hysterical!”
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