Post a Comment On: Micro Preemie Twins: The Story of H & E

[Image]Well, we've got good news and bad news to report. We'll start with the good... When they were last weighed Holland was up to 3 pounds 2.5 ounces, and Eden was 3 pounds 6 ounces. They are getting so chubby that we almost don't recognize them as the same babies! Check out the double chins in these pictures! Wednesday evening we made some really good progress with the breastfeeding. They weighed the babies before and after and Eden was able to get 7 cc's. Holland got 16! They adjusted the amount of their gavage feedings by that amount, giving them less through the tube. As they get more practice and get better at it (and get started on a bottle), we will start eliminating the tube feedings a little at a time until they are taking full feedings from the breast or bottle. This is one of the requirements for them to be able to come home.

[Image]Bad news is that both girls had their eye exams yesterday (they have been having them once a week), and the eye doctor saw that they had progressed to Zone 2, Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which would require laser surgery. The surgeon came yesterday evening to look at them and decided to do the surgery last night. They both had to be put back on the ventilator and sedated for the surgery, and weren't able to have anything to eat last night. The surgeries went well and both girls are now recovering. The most significant risk of ROP is that it can cause retinal detachment, which can lead to blindness. With the surgery, the risk of that happening is significantly decreased. Holland required more extensive laser work than Eden as her eyes were more premature. The surgeon said that the prognosis for both girls is good. They will continue to monitor their progress and we should know after two weeks whether or not they will need to do any further work. It is pretty likely that one or both girls will need to wear glasses, maybe at an earlier age than most kids.