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NRMC saves first baby of the year
Born at 9:53 a.m. on Jan. 1, Paisley Rose Jane Charles (8-pounds, 21-inches) was the first newborn of the year at Nevada Regional Medical Center.
Brought into this world by a team led by Dr. Amanda Turner, the child’s parents are Taylor Sheeks and Colby Charles while her older brother, Weston Charles, is two-years-old.
Three hours after entering this world, while mom was half-asleep, Nancy Widener – paternal grandmother – fed the child. Stopping to burp Paisley, and as young ones are wont to do, the newborn spit up a bit.
“As I was trying to get her cleaned up, all of a sudden I noticed she’s blue; she’s not breathing,” said Widener during a Thursday afternoon interview.
Grandma took a few quick steps out of the mother’s room to the nurse’s desk asking for help. On duty was NRMC registered nurse Bridget Shaw who immediately took the child to the nursery and began administering oxygen through a nasal cannula while also using a mask.
Meanwhile Sheeks awoke, asking what was going on; Widener kept her informed.
Said Shaw, “While her level did go up it wasn’t reaching where we wanted her oxygen saturation to be and if we took the cannula off, her level wouldn’t hold.”
At around 2 p.m., Paisley had another drop in her oxygen and so from roughly that time until about 6:30 p.m., she wore a mask as oxygen was continuously administered through the nasal cannula.
Several times – over the next few hours – when the mask and cannula were removed, the baby was unable to maintain the oxygen level on her own.
Said Shaw, “That’s when I suggested we use what’s called a Bubble CPAP machine.”
The nurse explained how this method provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to maintain lung volumes as the child exhales.
Paisley received a blend of air and oxygen which was humidified and delivered through a nasal cannula while a mask helped to prevent any by-pass such as the baby breathing through her mouth instead of her nose.
This is a non-invasive strategy for newborns with respiratory distress. The end of the tubing for the air which is exhaled by the child is placed in water. The underwater depth determines the pressure generated in the airways of the infant. As the gas flows through the system, it “bubbles” out – hence the name Bubble CPAP – and prevents any buildup of excess pressure.
“By 10:45 p.m., Paisley was taken off the Bubble CPAP and was able to breath fine on her own,” said Widener. “They gave her a bath, she ate her bottle and she’s been doing great ever since.”
Shaw noted how such respiratory troubles are more common for babies who are born at less than full-term, which is 37-weeks gestation. Paisley was due on Jan. 17 and due to early contractions, Taylor was put on bedrest for two weeks. Paisley was born at 38-weeks gestation.
Widener explained that Taylor’s physician was Dr. Heather Russell but Dr. Amanda Turner was on call that day and led the team which delivered Paisley.
“Now let me tell you, Taylor is tough, tougher than I was when I had my children,” said Widener. “She had no pain medicine; she did it all naturally, like in the old days.”
She went to say Sheeks had done that with the delivery of her first child. Weston came “on the third push” while mom pushed for 30 to 35 minutes “before Paisley decided to make her entrance into the world. Like I said, she’s tough but she’s a really good mama.”
Widener described how along with the arrival of Paisley came a rush of fluid “some of which Dr. Turner thinks she might have swallowed.”
“In the nursery they pulled out about eight-ounces of fluid out of her lungs; it was half a syringe,” said Widener. “By then Colby had shown up and I didn’t want the others freaking out so I told everyone to go out and let them finish cleaning up Paisley.”
During that time, Widener said Paisley only cried twice even as she described her new granddaughter as “a strong fighter; she comes from a good line of women.”
“And Dr. Turner was amazing,” said Widener. “She was there from birth in the morning until everything was OK, later that night.”
Shaw said NRMC has had the Bubble CPAP machine for approximately one-year with Paisley being about the fifth patient on whom it has been used.
“Before, if a baby had respiratory trouble, we’d put in a call to the helicopter and have the child transported to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City,” said Shaw. “But since we got that equipment I think we’ve only had to transport one.”
She spoke of how the doctors and nurses work as a team, knowing what they can handle and when they should transport a child to more specialized care.
“But with equipment we have right here in our OB (obstetrics unit), we can handle a lot of problems and keep parents from having to be separated from their baby,” added Shaw.
The registered nurse said putting on that equipment does disturb the child.
“But we want a lot of stimulation; we like that fight,” explained Shaw. “We like ‘em to cry because it really helps open up those lungs.”
Shaw credited the physicians and co-workers saying, “In this work, you really need knowledge, a great team and the necessary equipment and at NRMC, we’ve got all that.”
By now it was nearing time to dismiss mother and child from the hospital; Widener was there to help and together they shared final thoughts.
Grandma spoke first saying, “I don’t think we could have had a better team working on either one of them.”
Looking at her content new daughter, mom explained, “I picked Paisley because I like how it sounded. Rose is after a great-great grandmother.”
“And Jane is after my daughter that I lost,” added Widener.
The two women looked at each other and then at Paisley.
Sheeks spoke softly to her daughter while tracing the newborn’s mouth with her finger, “We are so glad you are here and healthy. We are so glad for all the folks of this hospital.”
The discharge papers appeared; it was time to go home.