Paed and Health Checks
Once leaving the hospital the ups and downs do not stop, in fact have really only just begun. Health professionals like to keep a closer eye on everything Brendan does, including, weight, height, head circumference, development, feeding and sleeping. I realise that all babies have these checks done, but for a Premmie baby these checks are more important for keeping an eye on how they are going.
I remember Brendan first visit to his Paed, it was for his Term check-up. I was so nervous going back to the hospital, I’d been gone for 4 weeks and was loving being at home. I was so scared that they were going to “take” Brendan and put him back into hospital, I don’t know why I felt this way… I just did. I went back to the SCN to see a friend who’s lil man was still there, I couldn’t stay very long for the beeping of monitors, the crying of babies and Brendan started to get really distressed. My friends baby was doing great he was almost ready for home.
Brendan has been to see eye specialists at the Childrens Hospital in Perth (PMH). Every time we go is nerveracking, are they going to find something wrong?? The wait is horrible. Not long after you check-in you are seen by a nurse who puts drops in your little ones eyes. Brendan hates the drops, it makes his pupils dialate so that the dr can see properly. You have to wait at least 30 mins before seeing the dr soemtimes it’s longer. Depends on how quick the drops work and also how far behind they are. At his last eye appt, which was at 3:15pm, we got there around 2:45 and we did not see the eye dr until 5:30. It is very hard to sit with a child who is disorientated from the drops for that long. He was not happy and quiet tired.
I am thrilled to announce that we won’t be going back to the eye doctor until middle of the year!
Brendan sees as Community Health nurse every month. She checks his weight, height, head circumference and does a physical. Up until October one of Brendan’s testies hadn’t dropped and we were worried that he’d need to have surgery on it. Thank fully it did drop by itself, phew. Brendan also had a unbilical hernia, which still hasn’t fully corrected. Hopefully the Paed will be ok with it next visit.
8 Months~Paed Check (11 months actual)
Today(Tue Jan 29th) we had Brendan’s paed check, his weight gain has been medioca, length is great and HC is fine also. The paed was a little worried about Brendan’s reflux but not enough to want to alter anything. It doesn’t seem to be affecting his weight and thats the most important thing! He was really happy with Brendan’s progress, so WooHoo!! I was very pleased to be showing him off!!
~12 month CHN Check~
Brendan recently had his 12 month check-up, which didn’t go so well. brendan has tongue-tie which has been causing all his eating problems (he won’t swallow lumps). We have to see a speech therapist to assess how bad it is. Brendan also has to see a physio for his stomach muscles as it appears he might have a hernia. He gained only 115 gms in 4.5 weeks and grew only 1 cm. Other than that his motor skills are great, fine motor are good and language is not so bad, though delayed. he also had his 12 month immunisations, which I hated, he got 3 needles! Poor lil man.
~12 months Corrected Developmental Check~
On the 7th May 2008 brendan had his 12 month Developmental Check done at KEMH. He was subjected to a variety of tests to calculate his developmental age. I recently received his summary from that check-up.
Brendan’s actual age 14.5 months
Corrected age 12 months
Developmental age is 10.5 months
This was based on a variety of tests given in such areas as Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Personal/Social, Problem Solving and Communication.
~Recent Appointments~
Speech 11/08
Went quite well, although delayed Brendan is making a little progress. We haven’t seen her since Brendan was 13 months the only improvements made by Brendan is
the fact he is now chewing his food and eating lumps….. mashed lumps. Which in my eyes is huge!
As far as speaking goes Brendan is now playing with different pitches of the same noises. He goes from growling to screaming.
OT Assessment (16/6, 24/6 & 23/7)
Age: 17months (14.5 corrected)
Areas Assessed:
A: 9-12 months
B: 12-18 months
Comments made by OT
~Things Brendan has Achieved~
Visual Skills
A: Visually seares to correct place for objects that fall or roll out of sight.
Object Permanence
A: Lifts lid off box to retrieve object
A: Drops object- watches where it goes, waits for it to be picked up
A: Removes cloth to uncover goal object
Reach Skills
A: Reaches for object with extended wrist and appropriate finger extention (this is not pointing)
Grasp Skills
A: Radial-digital grasp of dowel, picked off surface
A: Three-jaw chuck grasp of object
A: Inferior pincer grasp of object
A: Pincer grasp of small object
B: Fine pincer grasp of small object
Release SkillsA: Transfers Small object from one hand to another
A: Independent release of small object into ice cream container
A: Independent release of a small block into an ice cream container
B: Releases a small object above a 2.5 cm container
Bilateral Skills
A: Grasps with one hand while reaching with the other hand
A: Bangs 2 objects together
Placement Skills
A: Puts objects into large container
Individual Finger and Hand movements
B: Turns pages of a cardboard book, several at a time
Exploratory Play Skills
A: Secures a toy by pulling at attached string
B: Explores objects with hands and eyes (comment… Contiues to mouth objects)
Behaviour Responses
A: Drops objects, eatches where they go, waits to have them picked up
B: Repeatedly cast objects to the floor in play or rejection (comment… casts toys off high chair with enthusiasm!)
Imitation Skills
A: Waves bye-bye in imitation
A: Claps hands in imitation
B: Pushes a small car along table in imitation
~Things Brendan is still developing~
Object Permanence
B: Actively searches for object of interest either removed from sight or not in usual place
Release Skills
B: Precision release of a small object into a 2.5 cm container - wrist extended
B: Precision release of a block into a 5 cm container
Placement Skills
B: Places 3-4 cm disks into horizontal slot (comment… can do with prompts and using trial and error)
Individual Finger and Hand Movements
A: Begins to point at more distant objects (comment…mother observes holding his hand out, not always in correct direction)
~Things that Brendan is either not doing or wasn’t assesed (which basically means he wasn’t observed doing them) for~
Object Permanence
B: Looks in correct hand for object seen hidden
Bilateral Skills:
B: Uses both hands to unwrap a toy wrapped in tissue paper
Placement Skills
B: Builds a tower of 2 blocks
B: Builds a tower of 3-4 blocks
B: Stacks rings onto post, no size order necessary
B: Places 2-4cm pegs into pegboard
Individual Finger and Hand Movements
A: Points/pokes at objects with index finger (comment… Not observed by mother or at assessment)
Exploratory Play Skills
B: Tips object out of a small clear bottle using gross arm movements
Drawing Skills
B: Palmar-supinate grasp of crayon - in palm, all fingers and thumb involved, wrist slightly flexed, arm moves as unit. (comment… Little interest in drawing tasks at present)
B: Makes mark on paper with crayon
B: Vigorous scribble imitation
B: Scribbles Spontaneaously
B: Draws a stroke then obliterates by scribbling
Summary
Brendan presented as a happy, animated little boy. He was very active during the assessment and during free play would explore the room and not stay with one task for any length of time. During assessment it was difficult to engage Brendan with some tasks (eg drawing) and he found staying on task difficult. He did respond to clear and firm instructions and boundry setting.
Tongue-Tie Fixed!
Brendans tongue-tie was fixed on 8/9, the procedure was quick and Brendan recovered quickly. His eating more comfortably now and seems to enjoy his food more 
Eye Check 25/9
Brendan had his eyes checked for short sightedness, long sightedness and also retina damage. His Retinas are all good and so far no sign of either long or short sightedness. We go back in 1years time.
