Baby back on breathing tubes??

My three week old baby has been put back on her breathing tube just after a few hrs of it being removed. They had put in one that was to big and that caused her little air ways to swell. Then they (DRS) put another one in and where in a panic because they couldn't find the proper tools to put it in. It took them over 3o minutes to find the tools and replace the breathing tube. I was watching my little girl dying in front of me, suffering, turning all red and blue. They had to paralyze her so she wouldn't move. Her color is back and now stable. They gave her three nebs, helox treatment, steroids and none of this has helped. She came in with a cough and now it seems I am loosing my baby. Thank you for listening....

Why was she intubated to begin with? RSV?

--Racemic Epinephrine nebulizers will help when extubated with the airway swelling. Airway swelling after extubation is fairly normal.

--The swollen airway will be harder to re intubate. As for not having the proper tools, they should have been bagging the baby with a mask while getting everything together to put the new tube in.

--Blue is a bad color, red is good in regards to oxygenation and ventilation.

--3 nebs, steroids, and heliox. Sounds like bronchospasm. These treatments will help in time, be patient.


You are in our prayers. Don't be afraid to ask the doctors and nurses questions! Being educated is key, if they are skirting around your questioins demand answers!

we're praying for you and your family

I'll keep you and your baby in my prayers, but know that she is in the best place for her right now. I am an NICU nurse with 17 years experience, and I can tell you that some of the precious babies that I worked with over the years had very tough starts. You think you are making some progress with them, and something causes them to be back on their "breathing tubes," or back with an IV in them before they are ready to go home. They seem so small and fragile, but they are actually very tough little fighters.

Even though she is "paralyzed" right now, she is still your little angel. Talk to her, she knows your voice. She has heard your voice for many months (when she was inside of you), and hearing it now will comfort her. It will help her to stay strong, to help her get through this rough part at this point in her life.