My newborn has a neumothorax

[dixia]

I had a lovely baby boy by elective c-section on Monday. He was born at 36.5 weeks due to his position and lack of amniotic fluid.

As I live in Spain and am freaked out by the 'conveyer belt' culture that seems to surround childbirth (everyone treated the same and you feel like you are just a number), we decided to pay to have the baby in a private hospital.

The operation went well, but within 2 hours the baby was showing signs of having trouble breathing.

After 36 hours of being monitored in the small unit at the private hospital, he showed signs of deterioration and they rushed him to the childrens hospital in an ambulance in the middle of the night.

His condition worsened slightly over the next 6 hours, until they reached a diagnosis of air in the chest cavity (Spanish doctor - hard to get medical translations). I now think that it is neumothorax.

They put him on a rapidly oscillating ventilator which is breathing for him and has taken the pressure off him. He has calmed down since then and is showing signs of improvement.

If anyone knows anything about the condition, I would be very grateful. The doctors wont give any idea of timescale (although I guess it depends on the condition of the child).

It is all pretty horrible and frightening and I am emotionally up and down (as you would expect).

I am now at home and we are travelling to see him for the two visiting hours every day. He is only 4 days old.

Anyone been through something similar?

[ThisFrogIsGonnaWhoopYouAss]

Can't offer you any advice I'm afraid, just wanted to give you , and congratulations on the arrival of your DS.

[ssd]

bumping for you

and congratulations!

[Marina]

Hello dixia, congratulations on the birth of your son, and so sorry you have had so much worry since then
I must admit the information you give about how much time parents with a newborn are permitted to spend with their baby in hospital, in Spain, is awful. Are you not allowed to remain with your ds at all?
Anyway, have been googling for you, without a lot of luck.
The spelling in English is pneumothorax and it seems to be a relatively common complication in premature babies. The treatment you describe for him seems to be standard too.

here's a factsheet from the British Lung Foundation about pneumothorax - it deals with the condition in general, not specifically in newborns.

Hope your ds' improvement continues and he is out of hospital very soon

We do have two British Mners in Spain, at least - lucy5 and senorapostrophe. Hopefully one of them will spot this thread and may be able to give you some tips of dealing with Spanish children's hospitals (sp has experience of this)

[dixia]

Thanks very much marina for your help. I really appreciate it.

We are hoping to have our new ds home tomorrow. he is now free from antibiotics, ventilator, incubator, nasal feeding tube, heart moniter, glucose drip et al. I have been going in to breast feed him - I managed to be there for 3 feeds today. Its hard cos we live an hour away from the hospital and have another son who is 4 and also needs attention.

He now seems quite well, but they wont release him until he has had a brain scan to check for brain damage. This is scheduled for tomorrow and we are hoping it is just routine.

He's much better now and I am more relaxed. Can't wait to bring him home.

Thanks again