Did I just get good news or not..?

• By mmontgomery36
• Reply 3710451
• January 16, 2013 at 9:34 am
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Good morning!
I would think if his bleed did resolve that is great news! I would clarify it with the Doctor though. I'm an RN and know about brain bleeds and I know they can resolve, but also leave some damage...depending on how severe the bleed was and it what area. Unfortunately, only time will tell if damage was done and this could be a few years down the road. How early did you deliver your baby? My precious little girl Kaitlyn was born at 23weeks and 2days 11 days ago. She has had 2 U/S of her head and right now, she has a grade 1 on the right and a grade 2 on the left. A repeat scan will be done tommorow, I'm crossing my fingers it is unchanged. Hang in there. I have the advantage of knowing the medical lingo. Ask,ask,ask questions and write them and the answers down. When your at home and you have questions write them down to go over with the doctors so you don't forget. Also, ask the NICU if they have a resource (book) on preemies in the nICU you could borrow. i received one from my NICU that explains everything to a "T". I can't remember the name, but I will find it and send you out a message with the title. Take care!

• By Motherof3Girls
• Reply 3711173
• January 16, 2013 at 1:23 pm
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That great news you should be so happy!!!!!Whenever you dont unstandstand something dont be afraid to ask the doctors or nurse they love when you ask question. My little girl Elisa is going thur the same thing I just hope and pray that the bleed reslove on its on too!!!!

• By katek
• Reply 3711468
• January 16, 2013 at 3:00 pm
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I'm not an expert in this area. My impression, however, is that large brain bleeds can resolve without damage just as small bleeds can resolve with some scarring. The bigger the bleed, the greater the risk of scarring.

All preemies, even those w/o brain bleeds, tend to have less brain volume than non-preemies do. Their "wiring" tends to be different as a consequence. That can mean a great many different types of consequences, some less significant than others. Someone posted a study that mentioned how intelligence is not necessarily a direct result of volume but how many contours (ridges) exist in what is given. I have taken that to mean that even if your child has less brain volume, proactive parenting (providing a loving, healthy, interactive environment) can create more brain contours. After 1 month of age (1 month adjusted for preemies), many neural pathways get "pruned" b/c they aren't being used. If parents provide good environments for their kids, the kids have better chances of having many successful neural pathways.

On this site, there are several parents of kids who had significant issues during their NICU stays (e.g., PVL, etc.) and yet their kids have surpassed developmental expectations. I strongly suspect that proactive parenting is the reason. While good parenting can't mitigate all problems, it can minimize the intensity of those problems, which is why paying attention to milestones (by adjusted age) matters. And when one sees any delay, don't hesitate to give your state's EI program a call and talk with the child's ped.

Our son had a cerebellum bleed. It was small but cerebellum bleeds tend to result in particularly crappy outcomes b/c of where the cerebellum resides (the connection between the two halves of the brain). We got involved in EI when our son was 2.5 months adjusted. And then we had a pediatric neurologist follow him for a couple years after that. That way, the neurologist knew his case and had good baseline reference.

In many cases, I think that the best way to handle a preemie is by having a sense of grounded optimism. You know that there are risks. You'll keep an eye out for unusual things. But you'll also not always assume the worst. Preemies have challenges but that doesn't mean the "risks" are a foregone conclusion.

Hope this helps. May your child continue to thrive.

• By SY2011
• Reply 3714393
• January 17, 2013 at 1:01 pm
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Hi. My daughter born at 31 plus 6 days had grade 1 cysts and we were told to have a repeat scan as well. It did scare the hell out of me and my husband, but after the repeat scan, the doctor told us that the size of the cysts have become smaller and no new cysts or bleeds were seen and that we have to do a repeat scan at the end of 6 months. The pediatrician did say that this is very reassuring and that we dont have to worry at all for anything. The key is where do these cysts or bleeds occur and which portion of the brain it is. If the cysts and bleeds resolve on their own, you are lucky!!! But as a parent, continue to provide extra care to her motor skills, speech and activities. As all others have written here, the environment and the care you show is key. Always keep asking questions and do your own research.