An apparently healthy looking 8-month-old baby girl has been in hospital since birth. She was in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for six months and was moved to the open ward since then.
She has lung and breathing problems. She has shortness of breath - she breathes short rapid breaths. The lungs dip at the apex on the skin surface as she breathes.
Interstitial lung disease is suspected (ILD). However, no lung biopsy is planned.
She is dependent on external oxygen supply and cannot go off oxygen supply for long periods, or she will become cyanosed. She can be propped up, but not for long.
Doctors advised the mother to have her name changed. The baby's name was changed since 3 babies shared the same name and the other two had died while in ICU.
She is fully breastfed on expressed breast milk (EBM). At 8 months, she is old enough and should be weaned off breastmilk and semi-solid food should be introduced.
She is the youngest of 6 siblings. The eldest and youngest being girls. The sibling before her is now 3 years old. The mother is 42 years old (peri-menopausal), and is number 5 of 9 siblings.
Where do we go from here?
External links:
http://www.webmd.com/lung/interstitial-lung-disease
http://www.onhealth.com/interstitial_lung_disease/article.htm
