Monday, June 23, 2008

The biggest hurdle that Hunter has to overcome is his feeding from a bottle and not a feeding tube.

It takes 25 muscles coordinating together to learn how to breathe and swallow your food. These muscles are underdeveloped in Hunter. This is completely normal for micro preemies to have this problem. Before today, they were trying to feed Hunter every couple days. He has problems with his heart rate and oxygen levels dropping. They are going to start trying to feed him every day now. They will continue to do this until he learns how.

We still aren't sure about the drainage in his ears. The neonatologist is stumped. It doesn't have any characteristics of an infection. They have a culture sent down to the lab and we don't have the results. They might order an ear, nose, and throat specialist to come and look. Right now, they are watching it closely.