OB/GYN and NICU

3/7/11-3/11/11

* *Each week in the United States, 9,246 babies are born premature.

I spent the week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) figuring out calorie needs, enteral, and parenteral nutrition support (tube feedings) for teeny, tiny babies. They are so tiny they are weighed in grams. One of my babies weighed only 980 grams (2.14 pounds). Babies born prematurely, before 37 weeks, are at increased nutritional risk due to poor nutrient stores, physiological immaturity, and/or illness which increases nutrient needs. They usually have under-developed lungs, requiring them to have breathing support as well as an under-developed gut. If they are born before week 34 of gestation, infants demonstrate uncoordinated suck/swallow which requires tube feedings. Parenteral nutrition (food through veins) is often started right after birth. It consists of separate solutions of protein, carbohydrate, and intravenous lipids (fats) as well as electrolytes (sodium, potassium) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus). Enteral feedings (food fed through tube that goes into stomach or small intestine) consists of special or premature formulas or breast milk. Some of the special formulas need to be mixed. This is done in the formula room by the diet technicians. I got to help out one day. In the picture above I am weighing out the correct amount of formula to be blended with a specific amount of distilled water...my favorite is the hairnet :) Basically, the week consisted of lots of calculations. While doing some calculations for homework, I was reminded of the days of algebra back in high school when I was crying at the kitchen counter because I didn't know how to do it. It was quite frustrating at times.

The other part of the week was the OB/GYN part. This consisted of learning about the nutrition requirements during pregnancy and breast feeding. I got to observe a breast feeding class. I thought this was just remarkable and very interesting!

On Saturday I ran the Saint Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville 5K run with Megan, Anna, and her husband. There was lots of green. People were handing out Jell-O shots to the racers during the race. Afterwards, I hydrated myself with beer and spent the day walking down Greenville in a sea of green people. I've never seen such a huge party. I spent the entire day Sunday doing nutrition support homework. It was rough.