Preemie Tidbits » premature birth

In the NICU for 50 years!

Cressie — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:23:45 +0000

Pioneer of modern-day neonatology celebrates over 50 years of preemie care

80-year-old Philip Sunshine has no plans to retire. He states, “I guess they still enjoy my work!”

Photo by Ladyhawke

I read this article today, and thought it was so inspiring I wanted to share it with you. Many of us have been touched by the work that incredible Doctors do in the NICU. Well, here is one of the pioneers in the field and he has been at it for 50 years! He has helped save the lives of 30,000 babies and is the Co-founder of the California Perinatal Association. I am sure that if his accomplishments were to be listed they would go on page after page, since Professor Emeritus Phillip Sunshine MD started his journey back in 1957!!!

The best statistic is that when he started his career, the preemie survival rate was less than 50%, now it is well over 90%, just another fact to celebrate!

Click on the above link (just under the title) to read the complete article about Dr. Sunshine and you’ll see how appropriate his last name is…

Fight for Preemies Day

Cressie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:03:08 +0000

November 17 is dedicated to raising awareness of the crisis of premature birth. The March of Dimes has invited bloggers everywhere to get involved. We need to fight ― because babies shouldn’t have to. I was drawn to one of the stories on Bloggers Unite written by a mother named Karen. The amazing thing is that her “life tumbled out of control” exactly 17 years ago today, when her precious son “started too early.” Reading about her experience with a baby that decided to come 8 weeks early and all the struggles touched me today. The best part of her story is how her son, Dude, is now a healthy young man of 17 and one of the “sweetest boys you’ll ever meet!”

You’ll enjoy reading the full account here on her Write From Karen blog. It will both inspire and encourage you – especially if you are dealing with a little one that has started too early…even as we speak…

Dude 8 weeks early in the NICU

Dude, now a teenager

November is Preemie Awareness Month

Cressie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:55 +0000

Well, technically, November is “Premature Birth Awareness Month.” Last year, some 20 million babies were born before they were ready, all over the world. Around 543,000 of them in the United States alone! Premature birth is the #1 cause of death for newborns and can produce lifelong disabilities and health challenges. The number of preemies born each year has increased a whopping 31% since 1981! No one is immune, since premature births can occur for any number of reasons (including no known reason at all) and often without warning. It’s vital that we discover more answers to aid in the fight against premature birth!

Thankfully, rapid advances in medicine have given some of the tiniest babies in history a chance to survive. However, premature birth is often a life or death situation for many babies.

November 17 in particular, is dedicated to raising awareness of the crisis of premature birth. The March of Dimes is inviting bloggers everywhere to get involved. For more info, here are links to bloggersunite and the March of Dimes.