Bradley was born naturally at 36 weeks and 6 days following a smooth pregnancy. Shortly after delivery he was struggling to breathe, making grunting sounds and flaring his nostrils. Bradley was rushed to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) where they did tests and discovered that he was suffering from Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). RDS is uncommon in babies born at Bradley’s age, however it is often seen in premature babies.
In SCBU, Bradley was given Oxygen and helped to breathe by a CPAP machine which helps to inflate the lungs. Scarborough Hospital currently only has one CPAP machine, meaning that any baby requiring long term use of a CPAP machine (more than 4 hours) must be transferred to a different hospital elsewhere in the country.
Because Bradley needed more time using the CPAP machine, he had to be transferred by Ambulance to York Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care. Transporting a poorly baby by Ambulance requires them to be ventilated and sedated. Bradley spent 4 days needing the CPAP machine before his lungs were strong enough for him to breathe without help. After a week in York Hospital, he was well enough to come home.
We are raising funds to purchase a second CPAP machine for Scarborough Hospital, in the hope that Scarborough can then offer a greater period of time to babies that require help, rather than facing the risk and upheaval of being transferred away, providing a better range of services to babies in the area.
This was our second baby and after a trouble free first delivery, it made us realise that the same could happen to anyone.
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