A baby born weighing less than two pounds miraculously defied all odds after his mother’s body stopped functioning during pregnancy.
Daphne Washington Chatman discovered her blood pressure was dangerously high during a routine 26-week checkup, but within days carrying her baby to term was no longer an option.
“My body was starting to fail during the pregnancy, so they decided to do an emergency C-section,” Chatman said. WAFB.
Although their baby, Raylon, was born three months early and weighed about the same as a bottle of water, he was finally able to return home after his three-month stay in the NICU, and is expected to not only survive, but thrive.
“I couldn’t hold him for three weeks,” Chatman added. ‘I was able to see him and my first contact was in a week and a half.
‘I’m ready to show you your room and be in our element. Wake up and see it right there.
Baby Raylon, born weighing one pound, 10 ounces, defied all odds after his mother’s body began to fail during pregnancy, leading him to spend 107 days in the NICU.
The most critical components of his care had to do with his respiratory health and nutrient intake.
Chatman was told early in her pregnancy that she had hypertension and was at high risk of developing preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure condition that can dangerously affect both the fetus and the mother.
Preeclampsia, seen in about one in 25 pregnancies, affects the arteries that carry blood to the placenta, leading to risks such as fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, HELLP syndrome, and stillbirth.
At just 26 weeks, Chatman was hospitalized and monitored after a routine checkup revealed her dangerously high blood pressure levels.
Initially, doctors hoped that bed rest would allow her to continue growing her baby, but her body quickly began to fail and the baby needed to come out.
After an emergency C-section, Raylon was born weighing just one pound, ten ounces.
But his beginning in this world was not easy at all.
His size, which was smaller than babies are expected to be at that point in their development, left the new mother and her husband terrified for their son’s future.
Raylon spent 107 days inside the NICU at Baton Rouge General Hospital, which is a Level 3 facility equipped to handle especially difficult and critical cases.
“He looked like a 25 or even 24 week baby,” Dr. Fernando Soares, a neonatologist, told WAFB. “His lungs were even less developed than we thought.”
But fortunately, Raylon was being treated at Baton Rouge General Hospital, whose NICU is equipped to handle especially difficult and critical cases.
A dedicated team of specialists, including doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists, worked tirelessly to meet his every need and even became part of the family.
“I became so familiar with them that they thought I worked there,” Chatman laughed.
The most critical element to Raylon’s survival was his respiratory care and nutrient intake.
‘Nature is beautiful. The mother, when the baby is inside the uterus, gives it the exact amount of nutrients it needs,” Soares added.
“We need to take a small sample from the baby to determine what the baby’s daily needs are and we customize an IV bag based on the baby’s needs.”
Chatman stayed with her son at all times in the NICU and said, “I became so familiar that they thought I worked there.”
A team of specialists, including doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists, worked around the clock to meet all of baby Raylon’s needs and even became part of the family.
Chatman waited patiently every day to hold her son, while her husband worked to support the family.
The NICU nurses even threw her a baby shower to help the new mother finish preparing the baby at home, but Chatman spent every moment at her son’s side and was never able to get started.
Just weeks after holding her son for the first time, Raylon reached another milestone: drinking milk from a bottle.
After receiving round-the-clock care in the Level 3 NICU, he slowly began to grow and strengthen, to the point that Chatman was eventually able to dress him in little saint outfits and even a Halloween costume.
When her due date arrived, she weighed seven pounds, six ounces, strong enough to return home for the first time after spending the first 107 days of her life inside the hospital.
“When I started doing this, the results weren’t always great,” Soares said. ‘But our specialty is evolving as we speak. “We’re getting better equipment, better medications and better knowledge of what to do.”
Raylon and his mother were greeted with greetings and hugs from staff the day he was released from their care as a final goodbye.
Raylon and his mother were greeted with hugs and goodbyes from the staff the day he was discharged from the NICU.
Raylon will continue to require additional oxygen and physical therapy, but is expected to continue to improve
Chatman would never have imagined how scary her first pregnancy would be, but she wished other mothers facing the same challenges could find the same level of support she did.
“Don’t think it’s your fault because it’s not,” Chatman said. “I definitely blamed myself for having a premature baby.”
“If you don’t have it, you will get faith,” he added. ‘Just stay strong and positive. Let people help you.
Although baby Raylon will need extra oxygen and physical therapy, he has a bright future ahead of him and is finally introduced to the home he will grow up in alongside his stepbrother, who eagerly awaits his arrival.
“It’s a blessing to be able to watch these babies grow and become strong enough to come home,” Soares added.
And as for the new mother, she looks forward to the routine things (changing diapers and feeding her baby) that have quickly become precious milestones.
