24 weeker

[rachkeane]

i had a baby at 24 weeks she weighed 740 grams and had a long hard struggle she a brain harromage at 4 days old and it leaked into her brain tissue and she also has a cyst in her brain venticle now i,ve been told she might be disabled and dont know what to expect she is 5 months old now and 8lb 6

[mumnic]

Hi

I had a 24 weeker 23/10/09
He had a lung bleed after birth that has left him with PIE.  He did come off ventiltor for 1 week but has had to go back on it.
He had a brain bleed that is now organising itself and the ventricle is enlarged but dont know if that will effect him.  It is on the left side and if it does will effect motor functions.
He currently has a infection.
He has never tolerated feeds as yet and so they are suspecting possible NEC.

[itsmethere]

I don't know whether my message would provide hope or cause distress, but I would like to share my story as a former preemie with a neurological disability.

I am a 24 year old young woman now.  I was born at 32-33 weeks gestation weighing 1800 grams after a very prolonged labor where I stood in the birth canal for several hours without moving.  I was born in deep asphyxia and did not breath at birth.  I needed 15 hours of mechanical ventilation before I could breath on my own.  I stayed in the hospital for 31 days.

I have bilateral cysts around my brain ventricles (periventricular leukomalacia, PVL) and cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia).  I walk on my own feet without any aids, however I limp and have a characteristic gait.  My arms are also slightly affected, but less so than the legs and my fine-motor skills are weak.

In addition to cerebral palsy, the cysts around my ventricles did cause learning disabilities as well.  However, I don't have mental retardation.  My overall IQ is average (around 105), however my verbal IQ is 135 (very superior) and performance IQ 73 (borderline) for an overall average IQ.  This translates into difficulties with reading comprehension, sustaining interest on task, combination and structuring as well as very poor short-term memory/learning of new information.  In general, it takes me much longer than average and requires much more effort to learn and understand new material.

Despite my LD, I did always get good grades in school in general education classes due to excellent effort and motivation.  Moreover, I got into a  prestigious college with an SAT score of 1350 (680V 670M).  Although I struggled in college, I managed to graduate with a bachelor's degree, albeit barely.

Now, I am two years out of college, but still don't have a job.  My learning disabilities really limit the jobs I can do well and as a result I haven't been able to land a job.  I am simply not cognitively qualified for most jobs.  But I am sure I'll make it in life somehow.