Andrew Russell
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Andrew was born full term at 38 weeks after an easy pregnancy and delivery. We noticed his color was poor but was told not to worry. After having him home a few days he began aspirating breastmilk, screaming all day, and vomiting a lot. At 2 weeks he began the stridor breathing. We were told this was "normal". At 3 months he stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated at home a few times. After a 2 day hospital stay he got an apnea monitor and referral to a peds ENT who told us after a bronchoscopy that he had severe laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, and GERD. He was put on reflux meds and told to watch closely. As the months progressed he did not improve. He had many apneic episodes, blue spells, and continued vomiting despite the meds. It was a constant struggle to get him to eat so he was a very slow gainer. At 7 months we put him on a pulse oximeter and noticed he desated during sleep so he was put on oxygen through the nights. After three pneumonias and two more hospital stays a sleep study was done that revealed what we had suspected-obstructive sleep apnea. Thinking it may be reflux aspiration he underwent a Nissen fundoplication and adenoidectomy at 14 months. After no improvement and now lower desaturations during sleep (down to 75%) he underwent a second adenoidectomy (they grew back), ear tube placement, and bilateral aryepiglottopexy at 19 and 20 months old. After still no improvement, saturations now down to 63% at night and a near respiratory arrest Andrew had his tracheostomy placed on 6/2/00 at 24 3/4 months of age. He is adapting well considering what he has been through. We now know that stridor breathing in newborns is not "normal" and nothing to mess with. We have also gotten away from the doctor that said it was ok.
Update August 2001: Decannulated
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