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Premature Birth
Hello, and welcome to The Art of Women's Health, I'm Juju Chang. Premature Birth... it's the number one obstetrical problem in America. Premature babies can spend weeks, even months in the hospital in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. We're about to visit a Minnesota couple whose journey through the trials of a premature birth was made even more trying because they... gave birth to twins.
HOST V/O
Michael and Jacob Tschida are celebrating their second birthday.
NAT SOUND
"Happy Birthday to you..."
HOST V/O
Seeing them indulge in celebratory cupcakes would bring a smile to anyone's face. But it's even more of a celebration because not so long ago, these happy, healthy little boys were terribly sick and fragile.
HOST V/O
The twin's due date was supposed to be Halloween Day, October 31st. But this anticipated "treat" was turned into a frightening "trick" of fate, when instead, they were born on July 9... nearly four months early.
Becky Tschida, Mother
"Mike was one pound five ounces, and Jake was one pound twelve ounces."
HOST V/O
Making the transition from living in the womb to surviving in the world was rough for Mike and Jake. For several weeks, they were treated in small Plexiglas isolettes. During that time, their parents, Becky and Brian Tschida, got pretty familiar with the halls of children's hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Brian Tschida
"It's taken a lot of patience to go through this. It's been longer than I thought it would be. We figured it would be three months. But it seems like there's 30 hours on a day sometimes."
NAT SOUND
"Here we go sweetie..."
HOST V/O
The boys went through several surgeries, ample antibiotics and numerous needle sticks during their 16-week stay at the Neo Intensive Care Unit. And though they hadn't met her yet, the twins had seen their older sister Katie, just about every day... thanks to a photo mom and dad had brought from home. Trying to comfort the babies took the edge off the fact that they were hooked up to so many machines and monitors.
Becky Tschida
"Boy, when they were born at 25 weeks, I kept thinking to myself that, while I can't supply them with everything they need, these lines are doing that for me and that's a good thing."
HOST V/O
IT'S HARD TO FATHOM JUST HOW SMALL THESE BOYS ONCE WERE...
Becky Tschida
"It was like holding a feather. My husband put his wedding ring on Michael's arm and it went all the way up to his shoulder. And now you can't even fit it over his hand and that's ten weeks later. So it's pretty interesting."
HOST V/O
Premature birth stories similar to the Tschida's are becoming more common... according to studies done by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to preventing premature births. Jennifer Howse serves as its president.
Jennifer Howse, Ph.D., March of Dimes
"Premature birth is a common, costly and serious problem every year. Out of four million newborns, about 475,000 of them are born premature."
HOST V/O
The March of Dimes helps provide comfort and support for families with children in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. It's precisely what families need when dealing with a condition that may result in lifelong consequences.
Jennifer Howse, Ph.D., March of Dimes
"Some of the more severe consequences are mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness, vision impairment and various other neurological defects."
HOST V/O
Though many of the causes of premature birth are unknown, some of the risk factors are: a multiple pregnancy, having a previous history of pre-term labor, low pregnancy weight, smoking, or being of an ethnic minority. Dr. Judy Ney specializes in maternal fetal medicine at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Ney treated the Tschidas years ago when they had lost triplets.
Judy Ney, MD, FACOG
"The earlier the previous one happened, the higher the chances that a patient will have another pre-term delivery ... but unfortunately, 40 percent of people who are pregnant, are pregnant with their first. So that doesn't help you."
HOST V/O
What does help, is knowing how to prevent pre-term delivery. Obstetricians may prescribe ways to help reduce contractions, and patients may be advised to cut back on some of their normal daily activities.
Judy Ney, MD, FACOG
"I tell them to be a slug. That means you don't really have to scrub every surface in your house. Nobody ever died of a dirty house. And you'll have plenty of time to get back in shape after the babies are born."
HOST V/O
Rest didn't come naturally to Becky. Her regular routine to reduce stress includes several miles of running every day. Telling a marathon runner to take it easy is no simple task.
Judy Ney, MD, FACOG
"It might depend a little bit on how long they've been trying to get pregnant and what they had to go through to get there."
HOST V/O
For Becky, running wasn't as important as the quest to see a swing set filled with smiling children.
Becky Tschida
"With the boys, I stopped running as soon as we found out I had twins and that was at six weeks along. I just stopped. Cold turkey."
HOST V/O
But even the best efforts may not prevent premature delivery and the heartache that can come with it.
Judy Ney, MD, FACOG
"The sickest patients in the world are 500 gram babies in the NICU. And if you're the mom of that 500 gram baby who tries to die three or four times a day, it's very, very difficult. It's an emotional roller coaster."
HOST V/O
Those were tough and trying times. But while their sons fought to stay alive in the N.I.C.U, Becky and Brian remained positive about the health of their sons.
Brian Tschida
"I think that in a year or two they're just going to end up being just like any other kid. So I think if we could have that happen, that'll be good."
HOST V/O
By all accounts, Brian's wish for the boys has come true. They're diving into life, enjoying every minute and getting stronger as each day passes. And big sister Katie is great at helping mom and dad take care of the boys.
Brian Tschida
"You know they each have a couple of battle scars from their surgeries and stuff. That'll just be memories of what it was like and they won't even remember it hopefully and they'll just kind of go on."
HOST V/O
For now, the whole family will go on living what has finally become... a much more normal life.
HOST ON CAMERA TAG
Doctors say one of the best ways to be prepared for the possibility of premature birth is to get early prenatal care. And women shouldn't hesitate to call their doctor if they're experiencing anything unusual during their pregnancy. A quick evaluation can help someone determine if they're experiencing pre-term labor.
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