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Doctors Save Premature Baby Using Sandwich Bag 246

Born 14 weeks early, Lexi Lacey owes her life to some MacGyver inspired doctors and a sandwich bag. Lexi was so small at birth that even the tiniest insulating jacket was too big, but she fit into a plastic sandwich bag nicely. ''The doctors told us they had never known a baby born as prematurely as Lexi survive. She was so tiny the only thing they had to keep her body temperature warm was a sandwich bag from the hospital canteen — it's incredible to think that saved her life," says her mom.
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Doctors Save Premature Baby Using Sandwich Bag

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  • Re:Fetus in a bag (Score:3, Informative)

    by Xacid ( 560407 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @12:26PM (#33723872) Journal

    Meant to add:

    "Lexi is now 11-week-olds old and weighs 5lbs 6oz. "

    All things considered - as long as there are no other immediate complications this kid might make it out just fine.

  • Re:Fetus in a bag (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @12:35PM (#33724012)

    Fetus? No.

    Technically, she’s a baby now – she was only a fetus until she hit the open air. The main difference (only difference, that I’ve ever been able to tell) is her method of breathing and feeding and that it’s now illegal to kill her.

  • by PackMan97 ( 244419 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @12:38PM (#33724052)
    No infant at THAT hospital has survived at that age. Plenty of kids at other hospitals have survived I believe the record for youngest is 21 weeks 6 day and the record for the smallest is 244 grams. So this girl doesn't really come close to those records. In the article the hospital says they are only equipped for deliveries of preemies 28+ weeks and usually refer to a hospital with more specialized equipment for the cases more premature than that. Reality TV star, Josie Duggar, was born at 24 weeks and is doing great (newest member of the Duggar family from "19 kids and counting" on TLC)
  • by im_thatoneguy ( 819432 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @12:42PM (#33724122)

    Always carry a little tiny roll of duck tape. Besides its numerous other qualities and applications a strip over your heel will effectively completely heal (no pun intended) any blistering for several days.

    I sometimes even proactively duct tape the contact points if I haven't worn my hiking boots for a few months.

  • by magarity ( 164372 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @01:16PM (#33724744)

    Premature birth is not a genetic condition so thers is no eugenics risk to saving premature babies:
      http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1157.asp#head2 [marchofdimes.com]
    There is only some additional costs at time of birth and risk of some health problems later in life that are also non-genetic.

  • by choongiri ( 840652 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @01:31PM (#33724982) Homepage Journal

    OK, I bite.

    I'm not talking about the UK in particular here, but compare quality of life indexes to taxation rates sometime, e.g. some of the Scandinavian countries. High taxes does not correlate with unhappy people. Great health care, dental, good working conditions, sports facilities, public services, a 35 hr work week, lots of vacation - now those things correlate with happy people.

  • by dogmatixpsych ( 786818 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @02:07PM (#33725604) Journal
    It depends on your definition of brain activity. The neural tube closes at about week 6. There is movement by 8 weeks. Brain activity controls movement (unless the movement is only spinal reflex, but that would be difficult to determine). In any case, there is rudimentary brain function very early in development.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @02:16PM (#33725754)

    Use medical tape instead, I do it often. It peels off easier and contains a more skin-friendly glue. It's cheaper too, and almost as useful as duct tape for most things. I carry a small roll everywhere (the geek bag) but duct tape wouldn't fit.

    Or you could just get moleskin, which is designed for this very function.

  • by dave420 ( 699308 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @02:31PM (#33726044)

    50%? Ha! What the fuck are you smoking? 30%-35% is what I was on when I was still in the UK, and lots of people pay a lot less than that.

    Give it a rest, fucknut.

  • by level_headed_midwest ( 888889 ) on Tuesday September 28, 2010 @03:45PM (#33727222)

    The brain and most of the internal organs develop relatively early during gestation. The lungs are the last major organ to mature and they are frequently what gives very premature infants trouble. Infants born before 32 weeks gestation don't produce surfactant (the stuff that keeps your lungs open so air can get in and out) themselves and can basically suffocate. Once you have them properly ventilated and such, they tend to do okay as long as they don't catch an infection. The immune system also is immature in a baby, but it generally doesn't really kick into gear until about 6 months of age for a normal infant, so it's not specific for premature infants.

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