Criteria to Meet to go Home

Criteria to Meet to go Home

• Get in an open air crib and maintain body temperature for 48 hrs
• Take all nutrients and food by mouth – either bottle or breast
• No Apnea (pauses in breathing) or Bradys (dips in heart rate) for 5-7 days
• Complete a sleep study for 10-12 hrs and maintain good rates of breathing, heart rate and oxygen saturation
• Be tested in their car seats while on the monitors

Issues for the Boys:

Zeke’s main task is getting used to taking the bottle or breast at every feeding and having his feeding tube removed.

Jude has been having apnea episodes and trouble maintaining his body temperature. He is close to being able to leave the isolette and give maintaining his body temperature a try. His last apnea episode was over 24 hrs ago and so we pray that he is on his way to outgrowing that.

So it appears that Zeke may be going home sooner than Jude but you just never know. A lot can change in 24 hrs. They are at least 5-7 days away from going home as neither of them has started that countdown.

It is getting harder and harder not to have them home. I visit the NICU three times a day and each time I get a little tearful about leaving and a good lump in my throat. I am so grateful that they have this care available though and that they are doing well.