Mom of a 26 weeker son ( 1 lb 10 oz at his lowest, now age 13, 5'5", 125 lbs and healthy as a horse) here. I really think that exposure to crowds should depend on how seriously a preemie has RDS/BPD. When Dr's know that a woman is likely going to deliver a preemie, the more time they have to give steroids and develop those lungs before birth.
In my DS's case, he was delivered very unexpectedly, and had serious lung problems. He was on a vent for quite a long time, had surgery to close his Ductus Arterios (to allow blood to bypass the lungs), had several lung collapses and chest tubes, had apnea so severe that he quit breathing many times each day for the majority of his NICU stay, and came home on O2 and an apnea monitor after a three month hospital stay. He pretty much was a mess. He came home in Oct, and we were told that if he contracted a common cold, never mind RSV, that first winter he could very well die from it. His pulmonologist also said absolutely no daycare until after he turned two and possibly later. We followed his Dr's orders strictly, and he made it through his first winter without a cold. When we did put him into daycare, at age 2 1/2, he ended up being the healthiest kid in the bunch, and almost never caught what the rest of the kids got. He wasn't breast fed either. Anyway, to this day he is an incredibly strong, healthy and resilient kid.
Homeschoolingmom, your Dr knows best, and gestational age + lung complications need to be factored into the decision to take your child to WDW, or into any crowded environment. Having a preemie in and of itself is not necessarily enough to raise concern about exposing a child to crowds and germs.
MSSANDRA, congrats on your 24 weeker growing into a healthy 15 yo. I know how touch and go the lives of 24 weekers were in 1993 when my DS was born. There was just one of them who survived in the 3 months we spent in the NICU, and he had significant and likely long term problems, including CP.
To all of you preemie moms/dads, it takes special parents to make it through having a baby born so little. Prayers and
to you as you raise your preemies into adulthood!
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