The babye issu
Home care for micro-preemies By Amy Nelson
Willow Wilson learned early on that life is worth fighting for. Born to Pam and Rick Wilson of Cottage Grove at the tender age of 23 weeks and five days, Willow was one of the smallest surviving babies ever born at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Babies born this early, known as micro-preemies, have less than a 20 percent chance of living. Pam had experienced an amniotic sac rupture that so distressed her baby; an immediate Caesarian delivery was the only choice. With a birth weight of only one pound plus a half-ounce, Rick Wilson discovered could cradle his newborn daughter in just one hand. In previous years, such premature babies would have remained in the hospital for long durations or not survived. Today, a wide array of newborn and childhood medical conditions are being successfully managed at home by pediatric home care professionals.
Not just for grownups Most people associate home care with seniors, but truly, home care serves people of all ages who are recovering from myriad health challenges, including those as new to life as Willow. Home care clients may need medical, nursing or therapeutic care, or basic assistance with the activities of daily living. Home care services range from a one-hour weekly visit to 24-hour live-in care.
28 September 2011
Willow Wilson, 17 months, is on a night ventillator for another month, but is on track for normal development after a harrowing premature birth.