Baby Persia Meleigh Lee Foon-Cummings who contracted pneumonia last weekend is said to be much better, hospital sources said yesterday.They said the baby was also taking her intravenous feeds "well" and was also breathing on her own.The infant, however, was still being carefully monitored at the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.She is the fifth-born of T&T's first sextuplets born to Petra Lee Foon and Kieron Cummings on March 4.
Hospital sources said the pneumonia continued to decrease and every day blood was taken from the baby to be tested.Hospital sources also maintained the child, like her siblings, had been receiving the best care possible.A few weeks ago, medical sources added, baby Persia began intravenous feeds and staff were hopeful she would join her three other siblings who are said to be doing well at home.
Contacted yesterday, chairman of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Dr Shehenaz Mohammed said all babies admitted to the NICU were considered critical and all were given the best care possible.
...Aftercare of sextuplets disappoints aunt
The aunt of the country's first sextuplets, Korette Cummings, has described the aftercare for the babies as "disappointing."Cummings said while the family was assured everything would be put in place to deal with the babies, the deaths of babies Kaelon Nasir and Paeton Christopher Lee Foon-Cummings caused concern.
She said the family had been prepared to assist financially with sending their mother, Petra Lee Foon, abroad. Both local and overseas specialists recommended that the sextuplets be delivered overseas to ensure they got the care they needed.The fifth-born of the sextuplets, Persia Meleigh, continues to battle pneumonia."The minister gave us the assurance that things would have been put in place with regard to the aftercare. They wanted the babies to be T&T nationals
"The concern was not about the delivery but about the aftercare. We were liaising with the staff relating to the delivery but it was the aftercare that we were concerned about."Honestly, this is where we think things fell short," Cummings said. Cummings claimed promises were made but not kept.
She added: "As it stands now I would say the proper aftercare was not given to the babies. We were told they were supposed to hire international consultants to review the delivery of the babies. This was never done. As a matter of fact after the usual nine days everything just fell down."It is a matter where we are trying to staying calm. We do not want to have to go through anymore mourning."
Questions are now being asked why the advice of consultant/head of the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit Dr Camanee Lutchman was ignored.Lutchman said several medical risks were expected with the birth of the premature babies after a high-risk multiple pregnancy.Her recommendation was echoed by Dr Marlon Timothy, a clinical fellow of the peri-natal and neo-natal medicine department at the University of Toronto.