Little Linzie Goes Home After Being Born 14 Weeks Prematurely
Just over a week ago, little Linzie defied the odds by graduating from Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town, after being born at 26 weeks gestation, some 14 weeks before she was expected to appear. But for the expertise and commitment of Dr Sara Watkin, a specialist in preterm care and newborn emergencies from Integra Healthcare Ltd, and the team of neonatal and paediatric staff supporting her, this story might have had a very different ending.
For almost all parents, birth is a mixture of excitement and trepidation. On the 6th May 2019, that couldn’t have been more true for Linzie’s parents, Lizza and Glenn Halili, given that little Linzie was supposed to be cozily tucked up in mum for another 14 weeks. And when we say little, she weighed in at just 2lb 3oz.
Dr Sara Watkin, Specialist Paediatrician & Neonatologist, Integra Healthcare Ltd
Being born that early, she was always going to have a challenging time, as her paediatrician, Dr Sara Watkin, a specialist in newborn and preterm care, explains;
“An infant born at 26 weeks gestation isn’t even close to being ready for life on the outside. Her lungs and vascular system were still developing, and she would have been very susceptible to infections. Linzie required round the clock specialist medical and nursing care, including multiple periods of being ventilated. The path from birth to home is a very complex one.”
The intensive nature of that care generally means babies born before 28 weeks are transferred to Florida, even though the Hospital has an excellent neonatal intensive care unit with world-class neonatal nurses. In Linzie’s case, the insurance coverage was insufficient to support care in Miami, and so the challenge fell to Dr Watkin, aided by the team around her.
Dr Watkin explained just what that meant to everybody involved.
“It was obviously very stressful on all involved, and very scary for Mum and Dad. During Linzie’s 15 weeks in hospital, Mum also had to return to work, which can be enormously difficult emotionally when your baby is still in hospital.
As a care team, especially in the early days, we were constantly mindful that even one wrong move can have very serious consequences. That’s where proper neonatal experience and training are crucial. I am also lucky to be supported by great nurses, both in NICU and on the Paediatric Ward, as well as having a colleague at Integra with formal neonatal training, Dr Jasmina Marinova. That becomes really important when you consider Linzie required medical care inputs multiple times per day for 15 straight weeks, at all hours of the day and night.”
Dr Watkin explained what Linzie went through to finally reach home.
“Linzie certainly had her ups and downs too. She had multiple courses of antibiotics, a number of periods of ventilation and needed respiratory support for much of her stay. On Saturday, she finally went home, still in low flow oxygen to help her whilst her lungs strengthen. Saturday was a special day for me, but it is difficult to imagine what it must have meant to Lizza and Glenn. I am so happy for them.”
Dr Sara Watkin, Neonatologist, alongside the nursing team from NICU & Paediatrics at Cayman Islands Hospital
So how can a 22-mile island care for such a tiny infant?
Although the Cayman Islands is a small nation in Caribbean terms, it has an unusually strong capability in newborn emergencies and preterm care for its size. Prior to moving to Cayman in 2016, Dr Watkin was Chief of Service at one of the UK’s most renowned neonatal services, at University College London Hospitals and had been a consultant for more than 25 years in this field. Besides being joint owner of Integra Healthcare at Grand Pavilion, she is regularly found in the hospital supporting her HSA colleagues when they call.
We left the final word to Dr Watkin.
“We’re very lucky here in Cayman. The hospital has an excellent team of paediatricians along with great neonatal nurses and midwives. However, this was a big success for Cayman, and obviously a great relief for Lizza and Glenn. They are lovely parents who celebrated every monthly ‘birthday’ by bringing cakes for the paediatric and neonatal staff. It’s not surprising then that Linzie’s biggest challenge on Saturday was actually getting out of the door, with so any people to say goodbye too.”
EDITOR’S SUB NOTE
We are extremely grateful to Dr Sara Watkin, Specialist Paediatrician & Neonatologist, Integra Healthcare Ltd, for helping to make this story possible and, of course, to the Halili Family for allowing it to be shared for the benefit of all.
You can contact Dr Watkin at:
