Kevin is continuing to do good! He is now 4lbs 11oz. He is 17” which is an inch more than when he first was born. His newborn tests and screenings went well. Since reaching the 1 month mark, he received 2 blood transfusions. This may sound scary but this is actually good for him and pretty standard for premi babies.
When a baby is developing in the womb, their bone marrow is learning how to make red blood cells and will develop all the ones that they need to grow. Premi babies have to undergo continual blood tests, so they can sometimes have a low red blood cell count. It is necessary then to have a transfusion in order for them to get more oxygenated blood throughout their body to help them develop and be healthy. It’s a delicate balance, too many blood transfusions and his bone marrow won’t learn how to make red blood cells on his own. So the hospital only gave small transfusions and will constantly monitor him to ensure he has the right amount.
Kevin has been on a nose canula rather than a CPAP mask for about a week. They are watching him and adjusting oxygen dosage as necessary. They aren’t sure how long he will need the nose canula/oxygen support but it will be necessary until he is more fully developed and breathing on his own. The goal is to maintain only 20% oxygen through the nose canula so that he can begin the process of bottle feeding.
They haven’t attempted the gravity flow yet that was mentioned in the last update. They adjusted his feedings to be entirely fed formula and that has transitioned well.
At this point in the premi journey, an important thing to monitor is the development of the eyes. The premi baby’s eyes are exposed to oxygen before they should be, which can stunt the ability for the eyes to develop through all the zones (there are 3). Kevin is in zone 2 of his development and he is stage zero – which means he is developing like he would have been in the womb, which is what we want to see. They will continue to do eye screenings bi-weekly.
Hayley has finished her in-home physical therapy. She is seeing improvement in her hands and feet which is where she had some nerve damage from being under for 6 days. She has a gained new understanding of what it means to have a csection and is eager to heal enough from that to be able to lift Ryan again. She had some follow tests on her lungs and will talk with a pulmonologist to see if addition treatment is necessary so she can continue to improve her lung functionality.
Justin got to spend Father’s Day with his newest little man and Hayley surprised him by having Kevin in a Poli Construction onesie, gotta start the branding early. 🙂
Hayley Poli & Kevin Terrance Poli Care Page 