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intraventricular hemohrrage
anybody else's baby have this? my baby born at 34 weeks has a grade one which is so minor but i've been freaking out. any advice how to cope? i just feel so sad and scared all the time.
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Re: intraventricular hemohrrage
Several of us have dealt with this...
My twins born at 26 weeks both had IVTH, A had a Grade 3 & 4 and B had a Grade 3 with ventricular mendley (sp?)...and both had MRI's prior to discharge that revealed resolving IVTH and normal brain function otherwise.
It is scary, what you are feeling is totally normal. Big hugs to you and lots of t&p's.
Ugh, I completely remember that feeling. Of all the things our daughter went through, the brain stuff was certainly the scariest. However, you have every reason to be hopeful. According to research, babies with grade one IVH have the same outcomes as babies who had no bleeds whatsoever.
And for what it's worth, our daughter had bilateral IVH, both grade two (one bordering on grade three). She also had some cerebral hemorrhaging. The bleeds resolved themselves by the time she was discharged and she is now a completely healthy, completely "normal" (although I like to think of her as extraordinary) 18 month old who laughs and runs and loves books.
This is certainly a difficult time for you, though and hopefully you've got a good support system around you. Let people help you. And although it's difficult, make time for yourself and try to take your mind off everything that's scaring you. For example, I would take funny, fluffy, chick-lit books with me to the NICU to break up all the seriousness and worry. And then I would watch my favorite funny movies in the evening. Even though it didn't offer a complete escape, I needed to expose myself to something that was light and didn't require me to think.
Good luck, Mama and keep posting here for support-- it's a great board!
DS1 was born at 26 weeks. He had a grade 4 and a grade 2 IVH. They told us that impacts of the grade 1-2 IVH are basically minimal, but that we would likely notice something when Andrew was school age as a result of his grade 4.
Andrew is 2 1/2 now. He has some global delays in gross motor, fine motor, and speech, but, overall I'd say he is doing well. He is talking up a storm, loves school, and is very smart.
We read to him every day from the time he was in the NICU, they told us babies brains are amazing at rewiring as connections are still being made.
I know it's hard! Hugs!
Out of all the things that DS had, the IVH was one that I worried about most. He was born at 26 weeks and had a level 3 on the right side of his brain. It resolved before we left the NICU and he is now 3 and completely fine! I know it is much easier said than done, but you have to keep thinking positive. I desperately wanted to know what my son's future was because of the IVH, but docs and nurses wouldn't say. We just kept hoping for the best and took it one day at a time.
Thoughts and prayers for you and your family.