Premature Babies-How We Treat Them Fifty Years Later

preemie

 

WASHINGTON — Fifty years ago this summer, the nation was transfixed by a medical drama that is now largely forgotten: the desperate struggle to save the life of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, the first baby born to a sitting president and first lady since the 19th century.

It is hard to believe that fifty years have passed since President Kennedy and Jackie lost their prematurely born son, who died from hyaline membrane disease soon after his birth .

It was a very sad time.

Today, a baby born five weeks premature would have a 95% chance of survival due to all the medical advances since 1963.

Fifty years later,the pediatricians that took care of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy speak out. It is interesting to read what they have to say.

I wonder how the story would read if these events occurred today?

Jackie tried to mourn the loss of her child privately with her family…so tragic that the following November she would be mourning the loss of her husband as well.

 

Don’t give SimplyThick to premature babies….

Urgent message from MARCH OF DIMES!

“Don’t give SimplyThick to premature babies

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging parents not to give premature babies (babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) the thickening product called SimplyThick. The product may cause a life-threatening health problem called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). With NEC, tissue in the intestines gets inflamed and dies.

Some premature babies have trouble swallowing. SimplyThick is a product that’s added to breastmilk or formula to make it thicker. Health providers recommended SimplyThick because it helped premature babies swallow their food and keep it down, without spitting it up. SimplyThick was available from distributors and local pharmacies.

The FDA learned that some babies got sick with NEC after they were sent home on an eating plan that included SimplyThick. Sadly, some of these babies died. NEC most often happens early in a premature baby’s life while she is still in the hospital, not after she’s sent home. NEC is very dangerous to a baby’s health.

At this time, the FDA isn’t sure what about SimplyThick is making babies sick. The organization is actively looking into the link between SimplyThick and these illnesses and deaths.

In the meantime, the FDA urges parents to parents to stop using the product immediately, even if their babies don’t appear to be sick.

Call your baby’s health care provider if she shows any of these signs:

• bloated stomach

• greenish-tinged vomiting

• bloody stools

For more information on SimplyThick and the risk to premature babies, visit the FDA website.

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Don’t give SimplyThick to premature babies.”