Foundation eNewsletter

The Roger's Family
Special Unit within the NICU Makes Big Difference for Tiny Babies Like Callie and Her Twin Sister Emma

Teresa and Chad Rogers’ twins were born by emergency c-section after only 25 weeks gestation. Callie and Emma weighed less than 2 pounds each, and their tiny lungs weren’t fully developed, so they could not breathe on their own.

The Rogers’ twins spent their first few weeks in the Small Baby Pod section of Nationwide Children's Hospital Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

By creating a special “NICU-within-the-NICU” for the tiniest babies they are improving outcomes. Babies in the Small Baby Pod are physically separated from the remainder of the NICU to provide a quiet environment with controlled lighting.  Specially trained nurses and respiratory therapists work in the Small Baby Pod.

Children’s NICU is one of the largest and most sophisticated in the country.  The staff work hard to find solutions for the tiniest babies.  They have developed Small Baby Guidelines that create a uniform approach to the family-centered care of extremely premature babies like Callie and Emma.

Dr. Leif Neilin, director of Preinatal Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital, said, “For years there was an underlying assumption that babies like Callie and Emma, born between 22 and 25 weeks, would not do well.  At Children’s, we are passionate about pushing the envelope on that kind of thinking and proving that a specialized environment and a unified approach to the care of these little babies will result in improved outcomes.”

The survival rate for babies born at 23 weeks was only 10% just a few short years ago.  Today, the survival rate at Children’s is 63%, thanks in large part to the Small Baby Guidelines and the creation of the Small Baby Pod.  For a baby born at 26 weeks, the survival rate is an astonishing 94%.  Children’s is sharing their findings with the other pediatric hospitals across the U.S. and around the world.

Callie and Emma transferred out of the Small Baby Pod, and after several more months in the NICU, Callie went home in June. Emma followed in early September.  Teresa said that having her babies at Children’s for nearly a year was difficult, but she and Chad know that the care they received made all the difference. “We’re so happy that both of our girls are home with us now. We are still seeing our Children’s doctors monthly, and they are amazed at their progress. Our babies wouldn’t be here without their care and expertise.”