NICU doctor says his own baby's time in the NICU changed his perspective

A neonatologist who spent his career in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) caring for premature babies gained a new perspective after becoming a NICU parent himself.

Key Takeaways:

• Jawad Javed is the division head and medical director of Neonatology with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, Illinois.

• After Javed had been in practice for a few years, his son was born prematurely at 32 weeks.

• His son is now a healthy 13-year-old, but he said the experience changed how he communicates with the families of.NICU patients.

The Details:

Javed has been practicing medicine since 2001, and completed a fellowship in neonatology in 2008, working in the NICU at OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital. But he couldn't truly understand what the families of his tiny patients were going through until he joined their ranks.

His son, now 13, was born prematurely at 32 weeks, and he became a NICU parent himself.

Despite being a doctor, Javed still struggled to really understand everything.

"I was a new neonatologist at that time and had only been in practice for a couple of years," he said in a press release. "Nothing can quite prepare you for having a premature baby. It didn’t matter how much I knew. My wife's a pediatrician; it didn't matter how much she knew. It's terrifying, and those first moments when the baby is born and they're rushing you off to the NICU; it is a blur."

He said he was only able to absorb around 10% of what doctors were telling him, despite being a doctor himself, due to his emotional state.

"Sometimes as a provider, you feel like you want to give everything. But sometimes families just need time to digest what just happened," he explained.

That experience changed how he practiced medicine, and now, 13 years later, he still remembers that experience, even as division head and director of neonatology. He said:

"It was a blessing in disguise early in my career. It changed how I communicate with families.

Those conversations that we have with families might be some of the most important moments each day for them.

For the provider, you might be seeing 20 patients, but that family is waiting to hear about the next plan and the next decision."

Why It Matters:

Approximately 12% of babies will be born prematurely, and many of them will spend time in the NICU. The more premature the baby, the more extensive the medical needs. According to the OSF press release, their Level IV NICU includes specialties like surgical support, neurosurgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology and pediatric cardiac surgery.

These are needed because these tiny patients were still developing in the womb, despite having come a long way since fertilization. As Live Action's Baby Olivia shows, there is still much development that takes place in the third trimester.

A Never Before Seen Look At Human Life In The Womb | Baby Olivia

At 24 weeks post-fertilization (26 weeks LMP/gestation), babies can be startled in the womb, with increased movement, increased heart rate, and swallowing. Lungs begin creating a substance that will enable the baby to breathe after birth. By 26 weeks, babies have developed a sense of smell, and their eyes can produce tears. By 27 weeks, eyes can react to light outside of the womb, and they can hear sounds, like their mothers' voices.

Breathing movements occur at least 40% of the time by 30 weeks, all preparing for birth. But being born prematurely disrupts that final stage of development.

The Bottom Line:

Parenting a premature infant is one of the most challenging things a person can do, as Javed learned firsthand. And having a NICU doctor who has been there and understands will surely help the families he cares for.