Our Prayer Request

Well, I am starting to think that the NICU should pass out manuals as to the little "extra" risks you will run across with premature infants. Once I took the girls home and they got past the 6 weeks mark, I quit worrying so much. I probably don't need to worry now, but I'm a first time mom, so what can I say....

Apparently, since the babies were born before 36 weeks, they will need to have a monthly injection of an RSV antibody for the duration of the RSV season. This means that from October to April, the girls will have to have a shot every month at the doctor's office.

When a baby is born before 36 weeks, their lungs are not fully developed, so even though the girls are now 3 months old, they still have more immature lungs than full term infants. Now, my doctor anticipated them coming early when I was having all those issues, so that is why I got the series of steroid shots before they were born. This was to speed up the development of their lungs a little bit. We all really think that this helped the girls.

When I look at the girls now, I just see chubby, healthy, little squirts. I forget they were born early. And since today was the first I had heard anything about this, I have a lot of research to do. I realize some of you reading this will have tons of questions for me...give me some time to talk to my pediatrician and read up on the injections...I can't answer them all just yet.

But what I do know looks okay. The injections are not vaccines, but shots of antibodies. The girls did not get their full supply of my antibodies since they were born early, so they have to get injections of them. It is for the same reason that Eric and I give them multivitamins containing iron every day until at least 6 months of age. They just didn't get all they needed from me before birth.

The virus (RSV) is very easy to catch, just like the common cold, but can spread and cause pneumonia and worse. There are about 400 infant deaths due to RSV every season, which is 10X higher than flu deaths in infants.

I spoke to a nurse from the company that distributes the shots earlier and she said that one of the things we need to do until April is keep the house as clean as possible (hopefully already doing this), wash our hands a lot, keep the girls away from large gatherings and lots of other children, and keep them away from cigarette smoke.

I am awaiting a call from my pediatrician to discuss her reasons for recommending the shots and talk to her more specifically about doing this with my girls since she knows them so well. After all, she was there when they were born and we not only LOVE her but trust her judgment.

I will make sure that Eric and I do what is best for them and make sure that I am fully educated on everything before we say okay, but I think it is looking okay so far. I figured out after a while that the reason a nurse from the drug company called me was to let me know so we could clear all the financial issues with the insurance company ahead of time...the antibodies only last in their systems for 28-30 days, so we have to schedule these shots and keep on track with them for them to be effective. So insurance problems need to be minimal.

Here is the website for the injections...I know the grandparents (or at least my father :)) will want to read up on this as well.

I am still thankful that the girls are so healthy!! I am going to have to talk to the pediatrician and ask her if anything else will pop up for the girls that I was not aware of...I need more warning so I don't freak out. But if all goes well, the shots will start with their 4 month check-up on October 17th. Keep the babies and Eric and I in your prayers!! Thanks to you all!!