Josie Brooklyn Duggar, the preemie baby born at 25 weeks gestation to the Duggar family of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," was released from the Arkansas Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit last Tuesday before being re-admitted on Thursday when her vital signs began to drop.
"Dr. Arrington told us to never trust a preemie," said Jim Bob Duggar, according to People magazine; Dr. Arrington is co-director of the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. "That is really true."
Fortifiers had been added to the breast milk Josie drank to help spur her growth; these caused minor stomach issues.
"We realized early that it would be a long, unpredictable recovery," Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar wrote on their blog, "which is why we opted to stay in Little Rock close to the expert staff at Arkansas Children's Hospital."
"Currently, Josie is healthy and in stable condition; we hope to have her back with the family in the next few days. As always, our entire family is grateful for the continued prayers and support."
Josie Duggar was delivered prematurely by emergency c-section on December 10th, 2009, after doctors discovered that Michelle had preeclampsia, which can cause serious complications for both the baby and the mother.
She weighed approximately 1 pound and 6 ounces at birth; she now weighs approximately 4 pounds and 12 ounces. Babies born at 25 weeks have about a 4 out of 5 chance of survival.
Most of the Duggar family is staying in a rental house in Little Rock until Josie is ready to go to their home in Tontitown, Arkansas. Ironically, the home they are renting was once owned by the eugenicist founder of Planned Parenthood in Little Rock.
The Duggar family is well-known for their belief, as their website proclaims, that "children are a heritage of the Lord." They have written a book about their experiences, including their decision to stop using artificial birth control.
Contact: James Tillman
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: April 12, 2010
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