The Department of Pediatrics

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Articles

Smallest Baby to Survive in N.J.
- Second Smallest in the Nation -
Born at Saint Barnabas

Weighing only 11 ounces (320 grams) and born at 23-weeks, Tyler was cared for at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and was released on November 25, 2003, to join his parents, Melissa and Brian, and his twin brother, Calahan, who was released on October 26.

“It is wonderful to have both babies home and we are very thankful,” says Mrs. Martin. We really want to thank Dr. Sun, Dr. Kamtorn and a nurse who cared for the boys, Victoria Kratsch, R.N. We truly believe if our boys had not been born at Saint Barnabas, they would not have survived.”

Outstanding Survival Rate at NICU
For infants with the lowest birth weights, the Saint Barnabas NICU has
a survival rate that is more than double the average rate at NICUs internationally.

In 2002, premature infants born at 23-weeks gestation at Saint Barnabas had a 70 percent chance of survival compared to the average survival rate of 25 percent at 449 NICUs worldwide.

Moreover, preemies from Saint Barnabas have a lower complication rate for common problems such as blindness and chronic lung disease. “The reason these babies are surviving here is because of the team’s intensive efforts in the first few minutes of the infants’ lives,” says Shyan Sun, M.D., Director of the NICU at Saint Barnabas. Life-threatening complications occur during this period and mismanagement at this time carries long-term consequences.”

‘Round-the-Clock’ Care
When a premature infant enters the world at Saint Barnabas, he or she
immediately receives medical care by an attending neonatologist. Even if quintuplets are born, each baby has a dedicated neonatologist (one for each baby) in the delivery room from the first second of life. The Medical Center has eight neonatologists in the NICU during the day and two at night, with an additional three available at a moment’s notice at all hours.

This additional manpower translates into a major effort for preemies in the first moments of life. A study by the National Center for Health Statistics reports that the highest time of infant death occurs in the first hour of life, followed by the first day.

Saint Barnabas neonatologists also focus attention on the need for delicate pulmonary care for premature infants. Specialized ventilation equipment is used to open the lungs, while also limiting the pressure so that no damage can occur.

Physicians also use a special medication to open the lungs, which is
administered into the lungs even before the infant draws his or her first breath. This helps to keep the lungs open.

Too Much Oxygen Can be Toxic
For the past year, NICU neonatologists have had success using blended oxygen instead of pure oxygen in the delivery room to minimize oxygen exposure for the preemies. Premature infants do not have enough enzymes to neutralize pure oxygen. The use of 100 percent oxygen can be toxic and lead to long-term tissue damage, resulting in chronic lung disease and blindness.

Following Preemies as They Grow
Premature infants continue to be evaluated on an outpatient basis through the High Risk Infant Follow Up Program at Saint Barnabas. For Dr. Sun and his team of neonatologists, this opportunity to see former preemies thrive is a priceless experience.

“To see them grow up so beautifully is the joy of being a neonatologist,” says Dr. Sun who is overjoyed to see the progress of the tiny Martin twins. “Our happiness is to save them and then see them grow.”

For more information about the NICU at Saint Barnabas, please call (973) 322-5300.

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