MARCH FOR BABIES: A MOTHER OF A MOVEMENT™
Washington County
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North Strabane Township Park
1929 Route 519 , Canonsburg, PA 15317
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2018 11:00 AM
1929 Route 519 , Canonsburg, PA 15317
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2018 11:00 AM
Our ambassador
Logan Jacobs
Logan Jacobs
In September of 2016, the Jacobs found out that they were expecting their first child. The couple was overjoyed and were eagerly awaiting the birth of their son. Blythe’s pregnancy appeared to be progressing normally even though Blythe had an underlying health condition of chronic hypertension. Having a premature baby never crossed their minds. At 32 weeks into her pregnancy, Blythe, began a new job which required her to be on her feet. While at work on her lunch break, she checked her blood pressure which she routinely did. She received a high reading and was concerned. Blythe went home that evening and continued to monitor her blood pressure. Each test had a higher reading. Bryce and Blythe headed to the ER as a precaution to get checked. That night, Blythe was admitted into the hospital. As each day came Blythe’s condition worsened and she was transferred to West Penn Hospital. At 33 weeks and 6 days, Blythe went into labor and delivered Logan. Logan weighed 4 pounds 7 ounces and was 18.5 inches long.
It was a difficult time for Blythe and Bryce. Spending time in the NICU can be frightening and overwhelming for parents, especially when they must go home each night and leave their precious baby behind. Logan was born with some issues to overcome. He was diagnosed with acid reflux.
Premature babies are not just small babies. They are babies who are not ready to be born, and they require specialized care to help them thrive. March of Dimes funded the research on surfactant therapy and nitric oxide, two applications that help underdeveloped lungs of preterm babies to breathe easier. Since the development of these two therapies, two-thirds of the babies who would have died from respiratory distress syndrome now survive their early birth.
After 20 days in the NICU, Logan was finally able to come home. He still faced challenges due to his premature birth. At 3 months he was diagnosed with torticollis and plagiocephaly. These are gross motor delays. Today, he continues to have acid reflux but is thriving. Logan will be 2 years old and his parents couldn’t be happier.
Like Logan, about 380,000 babies are born too soon in the United States each year. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often face an increased risk of a lifetime of health challenges, such as breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and others. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the causes of premature birth and providing comfort and information to families.
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