Midday update (Wednesday 12/24)

Carolyn got into the NICU before Max's 8:30 AM scheduled cares (diaper change, temperature, etc). She reports that the NICU team have moved Max's crib once again, to a location closer to the other patient Nurse A. is overseeing.

Carolyn reports that Max is doing really well. He's tolerated his feeds well, even though they're now on a compressed 45 minute schedule. Max was pretty drowsy this morning, so they mostly just snuggled. At rounds, Dr. M. asked the nurse to try bottle-feeding Max tonight. In addition, the NICU team will increase the amount of milk Max gets in his feeds. Carolyn thought he looked a little less puffy than yesterday, and of course he didn't gain any weight over night, an indication that he may be eliminating some retained fluids.

We also learnt that the NICU team have scheduled an assessment by a developmental specialist for next week. This is usually done as a prelude to going home, but they're going to start gathering information on this early. In related news, they will not order an MRI to check for periventricular leukomalacia, or PVL, until just before discharge. (Warning: link is not for the faint of heart.) If Max does have severe PVL it wouldn't change their treatment course in the NICU, so they prefer not to gather this information until as late as possible.