 |
| This was Chase's Halloween outfit, which he wore for a check-up visit to the Dr's office. |
By Janell Bradley
This March, when Chase Peyton celebrates his second birthday, his parents Chad and Meagan will probably laugh and giggle in the excitement as Chase opens his gifts. But, they might also shed a few tears when they think back at the birth of their miracle baby.
Weighing just 1 lb., 3 oz., at birth, Chase had only reached 23 weeks. He was 11.6 inches in length. He was purplish-black in color as his skin had not fully developed. Neither had his lungs reached their full maturity. His parents learned he had Respiratory Distress Syndrome – a breathing problem most common in babies born before 34 weeks of pregnancy. Such infants don't yet create a protein called surfactant that keeps small air sacs in the lungs from collapsing, and allows them to expand properly when the infant makes the change from the womb, to breathing air on his own.
While premature birth occurs in between 8 to 10 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S., Chase is among the more uncommon cases in that he weighed little more than a pound at birth. Infants weighing in at around 500 grams have about a 60% chance of survival, but the risk of complications is much greater. By comparison, a full-term infant typically weighs more than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces.)
Meagan was at her job at a care center when she took ill. Being just 23 weeks along she wanted to deny to herself that anything could be wrong, but by the time she got to her doctor in Waterloo, an ambulance was ordered for a transfer to University Hospitals, Iowa City.
With Chase born on a Thursday and placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Meagan was released from the hospital on Sunday, following her Caesarean procedure to bring the baby into this world. Tthe tiny, purple-colored and sticky-skinned Chase had a long road ahead, and so Meagan took up residence in the Ronald McDonald House, where she'd live for the next 120-some days.
According to the March of Dimes, the obstacles facing premature babies are many. Apnea (a pause in breathing), intraventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis are typical challenges, as is Patent Ductus Arteriosis, or PDA, a condition Chase experienced. The heart problem happens in the connection between two major blood vessels near the heart. Soon after the infant is born and the lungs fill with air, the ductus arteriosus is no longer needed. It usually closes in a couple of days after birth. If the ductus doesn't close, a baby can have breathing problems or heart failure. When he was a month old, Chase underwent a procedure in which doctors collapsed his lung and were then able to go in and repair the PDA, explained Meagan and Chad.
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) was another complication of Chase's early birth. All pre-term babies are at risk for ROP, due to the extensive neonatal care required and the use of supplemental oxygen. In Chase's case, however, his parents say there appear to be no lasting effects beyond his release from the hospital.
While in the beginning, even a preemie diaper was too big to fit Chase's tiny body, he eventually grew enough to fit into doll clothes. Meagan says she remembers how the 'Build a Bear' outfit his great aunt bought for him was too big at first. But that was ok, because Chase wasn't making many public appearances and a diaper and onesie often was enough.
Premature babies lack the body fat necessary to maintain their body temperature, even when swaddled with blankets. Incubators or radiant warmers decrease the chance of infection and limit water loss. From March, until he was released in August, Chase's home was an isolette in the NICU at UI Hospitals.
Arriving at the hospital each day from her temporary home at the Ronald McDonald House, Meagan said she noticed Chase began to react to her voice upon arrival.
"He would squirm when I said, 'Punkers, your Mom is here!' " she says.
Eventually as the couple prepared to take their preemie son back to their home in rural Hawkeye, they met with staff at Palmer Home Care to arrange for oxygen tanks to be used in their home.
"Kevin (Helgerson) and Marv (Shippy) did great with Chase," says Meagan.
Even though he was born prematurely, Chase is an active toddler, says Meagan, and it was difficult to keep the cannula in his nose as he wanted to pull it out. Cloth adhesive bandages typically worked best to hold the cannula in place, but as Chase began to crawl and scoot, it became more and more difficult to keep him on the supplemental oxygen tanks that were replaced on a weekly basis.
"He was supposed to stay on it until March 19, but by mid-February it was just too difficult," says Chase's mom.
"I'd go in to get him from a nap and he'd have the cord around his neck and we worried more about that," she says. "His oxygen sats were fine by then."
Because Chase required supplemental oxygen for the first year of his life, Chad opted to take a leave from working and stayed home with little Chase. It was also an effort to keep the little boy away from viruses and bugs that he might be susceptible to. During "Daddy's Daycare," Chad enjoyed bonding with his son and helping him with his first words, which were, "Da da."
The family's efforts at keeping Chase well and thriving were rewarded when they celebrated the little guy's first birthday.
On March 24, 2012, Meagan wrote on her Facebook wall, "I can't believe my little man is 1 today!! I didn't think we'd ever see this day a year ago. Thanks to everyone who prayed and kept in touch with us; it sure did help!! Now he's full of smiles, energy and dirty diapers!"
Now age 22 months, Chase now goes to daycare, while Chad works at ATEK in New Hampton and Meagan operates the Shear Bliss hair salon in Sumner. This preemie baby is walking and looks for ways to amuse his parents. He's reached a weight of almost 22 pounds.
While showing affection isn't at the top of Chase's list, every once in awhile, says Meagan, "He might give a kiss ... or a whop in the face!"
Some of his other favorites include visiting the sheep at his grandparents' farm, playing outdoors, and eating Apple Jacks cereal.
 |
| Maybe if I block the door, the doctor won't have to see me! |
