The eyes [don’t] have it

… ROP that is. ROP stands for retinopathy of prematurity — an eye disease that affects premature babies, especially those with very low birth weight. With ROP, the blood vessels in the retina overgrow and can cause scarring and possibly a detached retina, which can cause anything from mild vision problems to blindness. Prolonged exposure to oxygen seems to make babies more susceptible to ROP.

Both Colin and Veronica had eye exams yesterday (it was Veronica’s second exam), and neither one is showing any signs of ROP. We’re quite relieved, especially with Colin’s exam, since his continued need for oxygen support and his very low birth weight puts him at a higher risk. Colin gets his next exam in two weeks; Veronica in three. 

Veronica also had her appointment with the speech therapists. No, she’s not a prodigy who is starting to talk already. The speech therapists also work with swallowing issues, and are involved in creating a plan for introducing the bottle with preemies. 

Veronica was very sleepy from her eye exam, but she rallied to the cause and managed to rouse herself to take enough of the bottle for them to make an assessment of her technique. And apparently her technique is very good, especially for one so young (only 33 weeks gestational age yesterday). She paces herself very well, and even took some breaks so she could breathe. 

So now we’re following a schedule of one bottle per shift, when Veronica seems ready. We will let her drink until she starts showing signs of distress (trouble breathing, rising heart rate, making a squeaking noise, starting to fall asleep). At that point, she gets the rest of the feedings through her tube. 

Colin also had a good day yesterday. His ventilator settings have been coming down steadily over the past two days (pressure was at 23 last night, oxygen at 30), and he has been desaturating far less often and less severely when he does (only into the upper 70s, rather than down to the 40s). 

Life as a NICU parent is all about numbers. You try not to get caught up in it … but that’s how you measure everything. So Colin’s numbers give us something tangible to focus on. When his pressure is down to 10, he should be ready to come off the ventilator. As long as he continues to progress and doesn’t hit any bumps, that could be as early as next week. 

All in all, a good way to end the week.