Dedicated staff pulls through troubled infant
KARENA BLACK
Editorial Assistant
When Beth Israel was five months pregnant, her doctors discovered she had placenta previa - a placenta that grows under, instead of above, the baby, making normal delivery impossible.
Initially, her doctor assured her that the condition would probably correct itself before the baby was full term. Then, during her eighth month, things went horribly wrong.
Beth was rushed to the hospital with profuse hemorrhaging. She was quickly stabilized, but doctors determined that the baby would have to be delivered early, by Caesarean section, to prevent further bleeding.
Beth and David Israel's daughter, Zoe, was born without complication. Although underweight, at 4 pounds, 8 ounces, she was the largest newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery.
But the Israels' worries were not over. Shortly after Zoe's birth, nurses noticed her breathing was shallow, a common condition in premature infants resulting from underdeveloped lungs. Although a ventilator helped her, she struggled to breathe whenever she was removed from the machine.
"The first couple of days were weird because we really didn't know what was going on (with her)," said David. "She didn't seem to be responding to the ventilator, and she was kind of ashen gray because she wasn't getting enough blood (circulation). Then we really started on the (emotional) roller coaster."
Doctors tried force breathing with a nasal c-pap (continuous positive air pressure), but the infant still showed no improvement.
An electrocardiogram brought more bad news. Zoe had pericardial effusion, a sac of fluid around her heart that was creating pressure on her heart and lungs. Usually caused by severe injury or surgery, it is a condition rarely found in newborns. The treatment, pericardiocentisis, removes the excess fluid from within the sac by means of a needle, but is risky because the heart can be easily punctured.
The hospital's nursing staff helped Beth and David to understand their daughter's diagnosis and to be very involved in her care. "They were great," said Beth. "They are the lifeline for these kids. They are at the beds 24/7. I couldn't imagine (having gone through this) without them."
Doctors initiated drug therapy to try to correct the problem, but still there was no improvement.
"We were at Zoe's bedside 12, 14, 16 hours a day," said David. "Then she started needing blood transfusions to keep her blood levels up because of all the drugs in her system."
After two weeks, the doctors decided to operate. The surgery was quick and a complete success. "For as scary as it was, the procedure only took 30 minutes," said Beth. "The doctor drew off all the fluid and she was pink again." Just five days later, Zoe went home.
Today, Zoe is a healthy and happy 2 1/2-year-old who loves to play with her tea set and is the proud big sister of Seth, 1 month.
|