Twenty-Five Weeks

A detour from the ordinary events of pregnancy and childbirth . . . a path into the less-known world of premature birth, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a crash course in medical terms. According to the March of Dimes, "The preterm birth rate has increased more than 20% since 1990. Prematurity is the leading cause of death in the 1st month of life and even late preterm infants have a greater risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice and delayed brain development. In 2005, preterm birth cost the nation more than $26.2 billion in medical and educational costs and lost productivity. Average first year medical costs were about 10 times greater for preterm than for term infants." Parents of premature babies are no longer a rarity. This book documents our path and the amazing love and support my husband and I received during that period. We hope, a comfort for parents following in our footsteps.