Pediatric doctor shares what it takes to nourish 21-week premature babies to better health
Dr. Brian Sims is one of the neonatal pediatric doctors leading the charge in making sure baby Royal Rice, born premature, sees more birthdays.
"It's exciting to see that babies that used to not be given a chance or are now considered and given a chance,” Sims, pediatrics of neonatal allergist in the Department of Pediatrics, said.
Video above: Premature twins have an emotional ‘graduation’ from the hospital
Royal's parents, Latoya Burnett and Romrell Rice, made a daring move last January to fly, with her 10 centimeters dilated, from California to Alabama because a California doctor told them Royal wasn't going to survive birth at 21 weeks.
Against medical advice, the family believed doctors at UAB could save their son when they found this article.
“And when they transferred me upstairs. I saw Dr. Sims and said, you know, this guy we want to see. He was the one in the picture that we saw with this baby that they helped bring into this world,” Burnett said.
In 2021, Sims and his team delivered Curtis Means, the world's tiniest baby.
“When I talked to Dr. Sims, something that I respected to me, he was like, we made babies behave. And I was like, this. What I needed to hear,” Burnett said.
“Babies are born with the spirit, even at 21 weeks and six days, and Royal definitely displayed, I call it an attitude in a good way. When I say try to behave, we just try to do the things that we know works with extremely preterm babies,” Sims said.
It takes a team to know what works in what the hospital calls a Golden Week. For seven days, it’s a team of doctors, nurses, specialists and therapists nourishing the baby.
“Once the baby's a little more stable. our respiratory therapists are there in the beginning to help us with, management of the respiratory status. And our skilled nurses are at the bedside that recognizes when the babies are misbehaving, in a sense,” Sims said.
Curtis the world record baby, born at 21 weeks and one day, is 4 years old now. His mom says he's doing well at 32 pounds; he has therapy sessions and still takes his night feeds.
Baby Royal, already 21 pounds, has a long way to go before he gets to be a big boy like Curtis.
His family is determined to see that because they're staying in Birmingham for a little while to see UAB doctors help him get there.
“It's nothing against the doctors in California because, based on the numbers, that's pretty much the recommendation across the United States that at that age, most babies wouldn't survive. And as far as us sort of giving a baby a chance, that's just our assessment of the baby. And knowing that some babies at that age, can survive,” Sims said.
