anyone any experience with this?

[DonnaBallona]

Jude is now 16 weeks actual, 9 weeks corrected, 8lb 3oz and on home oxygen.

he was diagnosed last Friday with respiratory distress, they think he's struggling to breathe alone. he has a significant recession, is breathing fairly quickly and swollen. he is drinking a ridiculous amount of milk, 4oz every 3 hours but not really gaining. he had an emergency X-ray last Friday but not had any results from that yet.

he does already have chronic lung disease and has had bronchitis twice since leaving hospital on December 14th.

any experience? what on earth will they do if he's struggling up breathe if he's already on home oxygen-and is there anything I can do to help him?

and what about the swelling? is that normal?!!!!! x

 

[Dinah93]

I assume they've checked his heart and all is fine there? Babies with a hole in their heart have a lot more trouble gaining weight, have a faster breathing rate, and they tend to be on oxygen a lot longer as their lungs are getting too much blood so they're sodden and can't absorb oxygen very well. Is he on diuretics? Daft as it sounds once my daughter was on diuretics she started to gain. She was on oxygen for a total of 6.5 months, CLD/RDS, as well as having had surgery to remove half a lung and a hole in her heart so she has a lot of issues that work together to keep the breathing poor and the weight gain minimal. To be honest for a prem 8lb 3oz at 9 weeks doesn't sound too bad if the weight and height are roughly in proportion, my DD was 6lb 2oz at 5 weeks and didn't hit 10lbs until 27 weeks. Did he get synergis to help through the winter? I'd keep chasing the xray to see if it shows any fluid, my DDs xrays kept showing pneumothorax, she had 4 in total resulting in collapsed lungs, but your little guy is very unlikely to have that this late on, just thought I'd mention it in case so when they said it it didn't sound so scary.

 

[DonnaBallona]

we have been back to the hospital this afternoon and my poorly little guy does indeed have a collapsed lung.

thanks for your input, much appreciated xx

 

[bumpsmum]

ohh no poor we guy no experience at all Hun but wee Jude is always in my thoughts that cheeky wee face is too cute x