My name is Korrina and I am the mother of two beautiful twin girls. Lena and Kassie are former 24 weekers. They were born in October 2006 at 24 weeks, 6 days gestation. Lena was 1lb 7oz (647g) and Kassie was 1lb 5oz (600g). Like most preemie moms I do not have joyous memories of the birth of my children and I often feel like I got ripped off (...)
http://bitsandpiecesofme.com/for-parents-of-premature-preemie-babies/
14/02/2009
New ruling in premature baby case
A high court judge gave doctors more discretion yesterday to decide on the treatment of Charlotte Wyatt, the tiny premature baby clinging to life in a hospital oxygen box, after a breakdown in the relationship between the doctors treating her and her parents, Darren and Debbie.
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust won a court ruling last October that doctors need not put the terminally ill baby on a ventilator if her condition deteriorated.
But the trust took the case back to the high court yesterday after repeated disagreements broke out about drugs being given to 14-month-old Charlotte at St Mary's hospital, Portsmouth, to combat infections and ease her chronic lung disease.
Her parents accuse doctors of not doing all they might to keep her alive and have reported them to the police.
Doctors feel so threatened that the hospital has insisted that Mr Wyatt, 33, must be accompanied by a security guard when he visits his daughter.
Mr Justice Hedley, who two months ago ruled that Charlotte should not be subjected to aggressive treatment and should be allowed to die in her parents' arms, said yesterday after a private hearing that the inability of doctors and parents to reach agreement had posed risks for Charlotte.
If the difficulties were not resolved, there would be a further hearing on January 28.
But Mr Wyatt and his 23-year-old wife, of Buckland, Portsmouth, believe there is still a glimmer of hope for their baby, which doctors dispute.
Mr Justice Hedley said: "My immediate task is to make some provision in the meantime, in particular over the holiday period, so that the welfare of Charlotte is not imperilled and the work of the treating clinicians is not seriously impaired."
He said hospital staff had a duty to act in the best interests of the child if there was an emergency and they could not secure an agreement with the parents or contact them.
The judge ordered the hospital to use its "best endeavours" to obtain the parents' consent before embarking on any treatment or exercising any discretion permitted.
The clinicians were allowed to vary the use of drugs and nursing care which had already been agreed for Charlotte.
The judge had heard from paediatric experts at the first hearing that she was not expected to live beyond a further year and was likely to succumb to a respiratory infection this winter.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/dec/18/health.medicineandhealth
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust won a court ruling last October that doctors need not put the terminally ill baby on a ventilator if her condition deteriorated.
But the trust took the case back to the high court yesterday after repeated disagreements broke out about drugs being given to 14-month-old Charlotte at St Mary's hospital, Portsmouth, to combat infections and ease her chronic lung disease.
Her parents accuse doctors of not doing all they might to keep her alive and have reported them to the police.
Doctors feel so threatened that the hospital has insisted that Mr Wyatt, 33, must be accompanied by a security guard when he visits his daughter.
Mr Justice Hedley, who two months ago ruled that Charlotte should not be subjected to aggressive treatment and should be allowed to die in her parents' arms, said yesterday after a private hearing that the inability of doctors and parents to reach agreement had posed risks for Charlotte.
If the difficulties were not resolved, there would be a further hearing on January 28.
But Mr Wyatt and his 23-year-old wife, of Buckland, Portsmouth, believe there is still a glimmer of hope for their baby, which doctors dispute.
Mr Justice Hedley said: "My immediate task is to make some provision in the meantime, in particular over the holiday period, so that the welfare of Charlotte is not imperilled and the work of the treating clinicians is not seriously impaired."
He said hospital staff had a duty to act in the best interests of the child if there was an emergency and they could not secure an agreement with the parents or contact them.
The judge ordered the hospital to use its "best endeavours" to obtain the parents' consent before embarking on any treatment or exercising any discretion permitted.
The clinicians were allowed to vary the use of drugs and nursing care which had already been agreed for Charlotte.
The judge had heard from paediatric experts at the first hearing that she was not expected to live beyond a further year and was likely to succumb to a respiratory infection this winter.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/dec/18/health.medicineandhealth
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