Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Caleb Joshua update...

Caleb was diagnosed with Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA) (hole in the heart) yesterday. Our understanding is that this is pretty common in preemies Caleb's age. The neonatalogist is treating him with an IV form of ibuprofen for 3 days in an attempt to pharmacologically close the hole.

Tomorrow, they do a chest x-ray to determine if he can be taken off the ventilator.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our little warrior!

2 comments:

MoDLin said...

Yes, PDA is fairly common in preemies. Before birth, a large artery (ductus arteriosus) lets the blood bypass the lungs because the fetus gets its oxygen through the placenta. The ductus normally closes soon after birth so that blood can travel to the lungs and pick up oxygen. This problem occurs most frequently in premature babies who just haven't grown enough yet. Treatment with medicine during the early days of life often can close the ductus. I hope it is successful for Caleb.

Coletta said...

I am so happy your wee little boy is doing so well, and Carrie too. God is truly good in His grace. My love to all of you.