Byline: Michael O'Connor and Rick Ruggles
Sep. 30--Surprise and stress multiplied for Erica and Rick Steinspring earlier this month -- and not just because they were having triplets.
They expected their babies would go into the newborn intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital. But there was no room. So immediately after the births, an ambulance drove sons Jordan and Peyton to the Nebraska Medical Center before returning for daughter Carley.
'We said, 'OK . . . at least it's in Omaha,'' said their mother, who remained at Methodist for two days, recovering from a Caesarean section. Over the past month, Omaha's four intensive care units for the sickest babies have been full or closer to capacity than normal.
The problem has forced hospitals to transfer newborns to other units in Omaha. One baby even was taken to a Kansas City, Mo., hospital.
Such in-town shuffling is uncommon and an out-of-state transfer because of space problems is rare, said Omaha physicians who specialize in sick newborns. Dr. Ann Anderson-Berry, a neonatologist, said it was 'unprecedented' for all four Omaha units to be so full for so many consecutive days at the same time. 'To find out that the baby can't be cared for at the delivery hospital is distressing,' said Anderson-Berry, assistant director of the newborn intensive care unit at the Nebraska Medical Center. Doctors don't know for certain what's behind the increase. They do know, however, that there is no particular illness or problem that is driving the increase. If the number of births is rising, the number of babies requiring special care would be increasing proportionately. But Methodist Hospital, which is one of the busiest hospitals for deliveries, said September births at its hospital weren't higher than normal. The uptick of babies needing special care probably reflects the national trend of the growing numbers of premature babies and multiple births, said Anderson-Berry and Dr. Harold Kaftan, medical director at Creighton University Medical Center's unit. Medical advances are giving those babies a better chance to survive. Newborn intensive care units -- called NICUs -- are lifelines for those newborns, treating weak lungs and infections and providing special feeding to add much-needed ounces and pounds. Over the past several years, hospitals in Omaha and throughout the region, including Lincoln, Kearney and Des Moines, have expanded their intensive care units, and more work is planned.
In Omaha, four hospitals operate 'Level 3' units for the most serious cases: Creighton, the Nebraska Medical Center, Bergan Mercy Medical Center and Children's Hospital, which houses its unit at Methodist.
This month's shuffling has involved premature babies and those with respiratory problems or other complications. The parents typically don't know they might have to transfer until the day of delivery.
Twins and another baby born at the Nebraska Medical Center were taken to Creighton. A Bergan Mercy baby needed treatment available in Omaha only at the Nebraska Medical Center and Children's. But the baby was sent to Kansas City, Mo., because the two Omaha units were full, Anderson-Berry said. The Steinsprings, who live in Carter Lake, said they were told that if there wasn't room at another Omaha hospital, the only other options for their triplets would have been Kansas City or Denver. They said they got the last three 'Level 3' beds available that day in Omaha, at the Nebraska Medical Center.
Hospitals said they don't take infants beyond their unit's capacity because they need to ensure they have the staff as well as the specialized equipment that each baby needs. Children's and the Nebraska Medical Center appear to have the busiest NICUs. Through Friday, the medical center has had at least 34 babies in its 36-bed unit each day of the month. Some days were full. On Thursday, there were 35 babies, including six sets of twins and the Steinspring triplets. Such multiple births are on the rise. In Nebraska, nearly 4 percent of all live births were multiple births in 2004, the most recent year available. That's up from 2.6 percent in 1994. Multiple-birth babies are more likely to have low birth weights, respiratory problems and other complications.
Premature babies also are more likely to spend time in these specialty units, where the average stay nationally is two weeks, according to the March of Dimes. Premature babies made up nearly 12 percent of all live births in Nebraska in 2004, up from 9.5 percent in 1994. The percentage of premature babies and multiple births also has increased in Iowa and nationally. Bergan Mercy expanded its unit this summer from 18 to 26 beds. This week, the hospital will break ground on an addition that by 2009 will increase the number of beds to 36. Alegent Health System, which operates Bergan Mercy, will increase the number of beds at Lakeside Hospital's unit from four to eight by 2009. That unit is for newborns who are not as tiny or sick as those in Bergan Mercy's unit. Methodist will break ground this fall on a new women's hospital at 192nd Street and West Dodge Road that will have a newborn intensive care unit. In the past six years, the Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton and Children's have expanded their units. St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln three years ago increased to 27 private newborn intensive care rooms, up from about 23 beds in three large rooms. The Steinspring babies, born Sept. 3, remain at the Nebraska Medical Center, where Erica said the staff has provided great care. Friday, in the dim light of the intensive care unit, she stroked Jordan's right hand. Tubes and monitors surrounded his crib. Peyton and Carley were close by. 'They're on the road to going home,' their mother said.
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