9 month appointment

Justin had his 9 month well baby visit and Synagis shot this afternoon. Here are his stats (the percentiles relate to both his actual and adjusted age):

Weight: 11 lbs, 9 ozs - below 5th percentile
Length: 22.5 inches - below 5th percentile
Head circumference: 40 inches - above 95th percentile

For the most part Justin looks really good. He was very active and vocal during his appointment and even rolled on the table during his exam. Although Dr. Hirsch didn't mention anything about him being behind developmentally she did recommend that he be seen by Early On. Early On assists infants from birth until 3 years of age who may be experiencing delays in their development. I believe Justin automatically qualifies because of his prematurity and the DAC was supposed to be coordinating this evaluation so I'll follow up next week at his appointment.

Dr. Hirsch was a little concerned about the shape of Justin's head. I noticed that the back of his head was getting flat late last year. When I initially mentioned it to his home care nurse she said that it would eventually round out as he got older and more active. The very back of his head is rounding out but the top is somewhat lopsided. Dr. Hirsch said his head looks square, I don't agree it's square but it's definitely not round. The shape is a little hard to describe so you judge for yourself. I asked if he may need to wear a helmet to help round his head out and Dr. Hirsch was a little hesitant to say yes since we've already had to deal with so many other things and it may not be medically necessary. But we'll discuss at his DAC appointment next week.
If it were up to Dr. Hirsch she would've taken him off of his oxygen today because he sounds really good. His respirations are a little fast and he has a few small retractions but that's not unusual for babies with BPD. So we'll have to wait and see what the DAC says next week about hopefully weaning him off of his oxygen. We're all ready to be oxygen free. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over the oxygen tank and cords, and how many times Justin has ripped off the tape. He ripped it off 3 times today alone and I'm worried about how the tape is starting to affect his skin. He already has a permanent scar on his cheek from all the tape used during his NICU stay.

Since we just picked up the Prevacid Monday night it's too early to tell if its working just yet. Dr. Hirsch thought it was a good thing that I went ahead and started solids. So in the next week or so Justin will get to try fruits and veggies.

I asked Dr. Hirsch when RSV season was officially over but she couldn't give me a definite answer. But she thinks that Justin should get another Synagis shot so she wants us to ask about it at his DAC appointment next week.

Needless to say next week's appointment will probably be a long one. There's a lot to cover.