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Showing posts from July, 2013

A Miracle Child

  A son was to be born in July of 2011, and his parents were thrilled. Excitement, nervousness, and pride were frequent emotions, but then expectations were destroyed. Baby Mauricio was born 12 weeks early. At just a bit more than two and a half pounds, he would spend the next nine months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) fighting for his life. His mom, supported by NICU lactation consultants, successfully developed a small amount of breast milk – enough to initially feed her precious son until he became too ill to take her milk. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a medical condition primarily seen in premature infants where portions of the intestines undergo tissue death. The risk of NEC is significantly reduced when human milk feedings are provided to an infant, especially a preterm infant. Sometimes, however, a preterm infant who is receiving breast milk still develops NEC. When NEC occurs, the portion of damaged intestines must be removed. Subsequent feeding diff