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Show i. Hope for immature babies By Elizabeth Goode Express Writer As Rodney A. Pollary, M.D., likes to say; "You have come a long way, Baby!" The pediatrician of DinosaurLand Pediatrics is the former Chief of Staff at Ashley Valley Medical Center (AVMC). Dr. Pollary is gratified with the incredible advances in the local care of premature infants, especially espe-cially in the prevention of lung diseases for the infants born in the eighth month of pregnancy. preg-nancy. Premature infants are now being treated in the nursery nurs-ery with new drugs and support sup-port care to improve their lung maturity. These new procedures proce-dures allow the newborn baby to stay in the local hospital. Over the last few years the management of premature infants has changed significantly. significant-ly. According to Pollary, the new technology is now being used at AVMC. "The lungs of an infant born one month early are frequently too immature to sustain life without medical medi-cal support," explained Dr. Pollary. "Until recently, the only place this support was available was at sophisticated Newborn Intensive Care Units. Premature infants were often transported after birth to major centers such as University of Utah and Primary Children's Medical Center. The costs of emergency transport, medical medi-cal procedures, hospitalization and care, run into thousands of dollars; parents sustain additional costs to stay near the infant in the hospital. It was a stressful experience for the baby and the family. Even after these heroic efforts many infants did not survive or had lifelong complications such as mental retardation, seizures or cerebral palsy. But those babies made physicians look for better ways; they helped bring to pass a real miracle." Pollary continued, "A great deal of research has been done to improve the situation, and now with new technology and training, the Uintah Basin is seeing - significant improvements. improve-ments. At AVMC, new pediatricians, pedia-tricians, obstetricians and ; .some of the family practice physicians are learning more about how to use this new technology. tech-nology. Under the direction ' of DinosaurLand Pediatrics, semi-annual pediatric training symposiums have been provided provid-ed for the physicians, the nursing nurs-ing staff and the support staff of the hospital to improve the care of children in our area." Pollary said that more mothers moth-ers are receiving enhanced pregnancy management in their prenatal care by their obstetricians, who monitor for pre-term labor and intervene with medications which prevent pre-vent premature lung diseases. "New guidelines are . being adopted to decide which mothers moth-ers and infants can be managed man-aged locally, which ones need to be transferred before or after delivery, and which ones need intensive care. It is an exciting time for mothers and infants. With a completely renovated ren-ovated nursery and maternity area, we are moving forward." Through observations of prenatal care and new-born infants, many improvements have been made to advance the technology of caring for infants born prematurely. Obstetricians and pediatricians pediatri-cians noticed that some very premature infants required little lit-tle if any oxygen; they weighed from three to five pounds, yet grew and thrived. It was determined deter-mined that infants who had gone through a stressful period before delivery would often mature faster. Researchers found that the stress hormone Cortisol was higher in these infants. Further research proved that in certain infants there is a window of time that if Cortisol is given, the infants have much more rapid lung maturation and are ready to be born with little oxygen support. ; "Our obstetricians monitor moni-tor pregnancy closely," said Pollary. "If any sign of premature prema-ture labor begins during the effective time period, Cortisol is given and babies do better. If there is any doubt as to the maturity of ah infant before delivery, the obstetrician can perform an amniocentesis. A small amount of amniotic fluid, -obtained through the mother's abdominal wall, provides pro-vides tests of chemicals which indicate lung maturation." ;. Waiting as long as possible for the infant to mature has to is close to home be balanced with the risks and problems the mother faces, so more knowledge and support sup-port are essential. Premature infants born less than ' 36 weeks gestation are subject to the potential of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Some infants recover, receiving receiv-ing oxygen and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). Management of premature pre-mature lung problems has been a struggle between providing the life-saving support without causing increased complications complica-tions from the therapy itself. Researchers found that after 36 weeks the infant lung has a chemical substance called surfactant that lines the lung sacks.-Further research led to a procedure through which this chemical could be placed into the lungs of infants to provide the essential elasticity to the air sacks, thus making breathing breath-ing much easier. The placement place-ment of surfactant in the lungs in premature infants has greatly great-ly reduced the need for oxygen and respirators and has diminished dimin-ished many complications. If given surfactant soon after hirth. some infants between 32- Buz Fletcher uses this respirator for 36 weeks may recover quickly and not require oxygen for longer lon-ger than a few hours or days. Newer respirators have also been invented which are extremely beneficial to those very premature infants whose lung tissue is so immature that they require sustained breathing breath-ing support for days or weeks. Newer and more sophisticated Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) systems sys-tems are used in very premature prema-ture infants, allowing lungs to mature in a resting state as they would during pregnancy. The work for the baby's lungs f ' it 1 4 Buy1, Get 1 FREE New Ultra-Slim MP3 phone AT ffsi m u lit Mm 'far BmimiA eiNf eVe tp9I.M4MeftM hriq teevifo4Aiieswe44'toeeM)Nsy eslBBeiet jeweonwc MM nil ri miiH battel 6ti iHiim Vernal Buz Fletcher, Dr. Pollary, Baby Holfeltz, Stacy Thorlaksen and Holly Hacking illustrate the place but not the procedure - this baby boy was full term and lungs are fine is done by the bypass machine to exchange the necessary elements ele-ments through the membranes. "Over the last few months the use of surfactant has increased at Ashley Valley Medical Center," said Pollary. "More infants are treated and managed with what seems like miraculous results. Infants move from respiratory distress to more normal breathing patterns, pat-terns, often within hours. The mother and infant stay together togeth-er in" the hospital; parents are babies when their lungs need help. part of the care. Premature infants then move into other , care, involving feeding plans, body temperature control and close observation of weight gain, preparing to go home., "With training, the experience expe-rience of the physicians and the support of AVMC, we are regularly helping more premature pre-mature infants here, with far less expense to the family and their insurer. Money however, howev-er, is not the main factor. The emotional stress on the family unit when an infant must be transported to another medical medi-cal facility is 'tremendous. In Share the love this Valentine's Day 13 MP camera Bluetooth centos 2 phones $49" lite (80 AMi'M nm !MlMtowfcx4itata 5) ft few t ) l nbm neriMm H"tM Express (ifi f ithtJ ) If i " the next few years we will see continued improvements in the care of these infants in our hospital through cooperation and participation of the doctors, doc-tors, hospital and nursing staff. "It is also very important for every father and mother to realize the value of good prenatal prena-tal care and seek out a qualified obstetrician who will monitor the development and progress of the infant and take the necessary nec-essary steps to insure the best outcome. New parents are also encouraged to seek out a pediatrician pedia-trician prior to delivery and ask what training and skills they have to provide these types of care. Prenatal training classes are provided by the hospital hos-pital for parents who want to know more about how to take care of their unborn infant and get ready for birth. Prospective parents are also welcome to come and visit 'The Birth Place,' the new maternity area and newborn nursery at Ashley Vallev Medical Center, to see Winters at Bed Canyon Lodge are quiet enough to hear yourself think. Not that you are required to think. Get away to a Winter wonderland at Flaming Gorge Country's premier reBort. , Our restaurant is open every weekend for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luxury log cabins available upon request. I e I' lUjWmtMniUtfKt-XO f iMN www Htmtt " nt-mattm untatm 1 Dr. Pollary with sleeping Baby Holfeltz on warmer where procedures occur. Baby Holfeltz, born Jan. 23, did not need the treatment but was a good subject. our improvements and preparation prepa-ration for taking care of full-term full-term and premature infants." Dr. Pollary came to Vernal four years ago. Seeing how premature pre-mature infants were sent for. treatment to outside Newborn ICU teams, he asked, "Why can't we do it here at AVMC?" Study, preparation and procurement pro-curement of equipment for the newly remodeled nursery have led to formation of teams. A team consists of a respiratory therapist, nursing staff, radiology radi-ology technician, pharmacist and pediatrician, all trained .and ready to care for a premature pre-mature infant who may have lung problems. Team members can respond at any time, day or night, ready to carry out procedures to save a tiny life. Buz Fletcher, Manager of the Respiratory Unit, has been at AVMC for 11 years, and had additional experience managing manag-ing his own home oxygen company. com-pany. "Respiratory has five Tho eiviliMd way to onjoy tho groat outdoors. Highway 44 Flaming Gorge Country 438.8S9.8789 ri uroooaayonlodfo. PjtiiOT In forttlop with AMy lUtlniul TontL ocircler cpSr PV Get a 2 Une FUSE it font ' MM' - fttttf '-' - ' pan wmm miwit tlgwuwa vmmm hw f t m trlnttrineA c im il'i' in mtntmt nlii imtMth. Ilk- al iM'i' Xww wl ttmi. Arrn 0mmm rMtttm wM m tt 1 UMomlwfAnmammt wwh tmm wtttrmm mk m hi itm tMinnnl Cwm Wednesday, January 31, 2007 A3 therapists, responsible 24 hours a day, so we can administer surfactant sur-factant day or night," he said. Occasionally, decisions must be made to seek assistance assis-tance from an outside facility. facil-ity. "What does AVMC handle best, and what needs to go out?" Dr. Pollary asks. "If we can't do it, we'll find someone some-one who can, and do it'well." Additional doctors are being recruited, he said. "We have gone from one to three pediatricians, pedia-tricians, and are looking for a fourth. These are independent physicians whose offices are located in the medical center cen-ter in the hospital building." Medical science has come a long way for the baby. There no longer has to be such fear for baby's lungs in an early delivery. deliv-ery. Help is now close to home. Rodney A. Pollary, M.D. contributed . information infor-mation for this article. ham ! j pi! 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