Another step in Katrina recovery Special care nursery open

  • Published
  • By Steve Pivnick
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
Keesler Medical Center opened a special care nursery July 9 as plans continue to return a full neonatal intensive care facility in the future. 

The temporary two-bed unit is located in the family birthing center. The special care nursery is officially labeled a NICU by Wednesday, according to Maj. (Dr.) Alfonso Vargas, 81st Medical Operations Squadron neonatologist and interim NICU medical director. 

"We currently have one neonatologist, six NICU nurses and eight medical techs," he said. "The special care nursery brings to Keesler the ability to stabilize and care for premature newborns with special needs. This increases soon as another neonatologist arrives Wednesday and three more nurses will be added to the staff in the next few weeks." 

Major Vargas explained that premature newborns may have difficulty breathing due to underdeveloped lungs. They also may be unable to take their feeds orally, have difficulty maintaining their body temperature and are at high risk for developing infections, among other potential setbacks.
 
"We presently are able to provide continuous care for most babies of 32 weeks gestational age and higher," the major said. "As the NICU and its capabilities expand, we will be able to care for premature infants of 28 weeks gestation and higher, and look at those born under 28 weeks on a case-by-case basis. 

"If an infant is born prematurely at Keesler, regardless of gestational age, we do have all the facilities, equipment, medications and support staff required to provide initial resuscitation and stabilization of even the sickest newborns, even though we might not be able to keep the infant for his or her hospital stay," he stressed.
 
Within 48 hours of opening its doors, the special care nursery admitted its first patient, a premature infant born at 34 weeks gestation with respiratory distress.
 
"We provided initial care with nasal continuous positive airway pressure which was able to be weaned off within 24 hours," Major Vargas said. "The infant has since been working on taking his feeds orally which he is now doing very well. 

"Without the special care nursery we would have had to transport this baby by ambulance to a NICU either in New Orleans or Mobile, separating the baby from his parents," he said. "Now we can, for the most part, care for these babies here and keep them close to their parents, which has a tremendous positive psychosocial impact on the family."