Preemie Frieda is alive and well

Europe's youngest preemie is a medical sensation

05/18/2012

On November 7, 2010, little Frieda was born far too soon. In the 21st week of pregnancy, with a height of 26 cm and a weight of 460 grams, gave the doctors hardly a chance of survival. But thanks to medical progress, the now 18-month-old girl is healthy and lively. The society for newborn medicine in Lübeck speaks of a "sensation", because in Europe no case is known, in which such a young preemie would have survived. Reinald Repp, head of the Children's Hospital at the Fulda Hospital, and Frieda's mother Yvonne report to the news agency "dpa" of the positive development of the girl.

Twin brother of premature Frieda died of heart failure
Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks. The fact that little Frieda survived only half of the time in the womb as the youngest preemie in Europe is bordered by a medical miracle. Twin brother Kilian also survived the difficult birth, but died six weeks later from a performance weakness of the heart. Mother Yvonne reports that a wrong gynecological consultation for a polyp has led to the serious complications of pregnancy. "The fact that Frieda packed it anyway is due to the great team at Fulda Hospital," she adds. The statistics show that Fula has achieved above-average results in the treatment of premature births. Reinald Repp, head of the children's hospital of the hospital, sees a significant reason in the medical change: "Five years ago, a premature baby at the stage would have had no chance." Advances in ventilation, nutrition and the drug therapy of preemies are made. In Fulda, premature births weighing less than 500 grams now have chances of survival of 60 to 65 percent.

The chance of survival of premature babies also depends heavily on their birth weight and general health. The likelihood that a premature baby will survive in Germany today is greater than ever. But the smaller and younger the preemies, the greater the risk of permanent and severe damage, reports the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG). According to a long-term study, developmental deficits are detected in about one-third of premature births. 16 percent are severely disabled.

Frieda's doctor is satisfied with her development
18 months after her dramatic birth, Repp is pleased with the development of little Frieda. Mother Yvonne reports: "Frieda is fine. She laughs a lot and is a sunshine. "She is brave and learns fast. Although the girl, after being only 26 centimeters tall and weighing 460 grams, has caught up a lot, her development is still lagging behind her peers who were not born too soon. "She has eating problems, is a bit picky," explains the mother.

Frieda is now 72 centimeters tall and weighs 6.3 kilograms. The girl makes a bright, bright impression. "She seems to be well-developed mentally and physically, and is in good health. We also got their eye problems under control. The little one seems to be very smart and quickly recognize relationships, "says Repp. Nevertheless, Frieda's mother remains worried. Although normality has meanwhile returned to family life, the mother has not yet digested the difficult time the girl was fighting for her life. "The fear for Frieda is still great. You're always in Hab-Eight position. I somehow do not get the premature switch, "she says. "I rarely look at photos of the first weeks. It's scratching my ego that I could not spare Frieda all that, she had to go through so much. "

Whether Frieda will later be a normally developed, healthy child, is not foreseeable at this time. Statistically, there are risks for hyperactivity, reduced attention ability or eating disorders. Frieda's family does not want to be discouraged and look forward to the future. First, the mother wants to use the three-year parental leave to concentrate fully on Frieda. "And then we're planning another sibling for Frieda," she says. There is no increased risk for premature birth in further pregnancies.

Alarming premature birth report of the United Nations
While the chances of survival of premature babies in Germany are very good due to the good medical care and the steady progress in this area, it looks much more dramatic in many other countries. According to the United Nations (UN) first prematurity report, around one million preemies die each year worldwide. In general, there was an increase in premature births. This applies both to developing countries and industrialized nations.

The consequences of a premature birth are extremely different - depending on where the child is born. Christopher Howson of the charity organization March of Dimes explains that there is a dramatic gap between developing and industrialized nations. Epidemiologist Joy Lawn reports that children who have been in the womb for more than 25 weeks have a 50 percent chance of survival in the developed world, while children born in Africa or South Asia around the 30th week of pregnancy, ie just eight weeks early much higher risk of dying. (Ag)

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