Born at Just 24 Weeks, Baby Aiden Continues to Overcome Challenges of Prematurity Thanks to Exceptional Care at Children’s Hospital New Orleans

On June 27, 2023, Kristian Herrion, who was in the middle of her second trimester with her first baby, began to experience what felt like small contractions. At first, she thought her baby was just stretching, but by 1 a.m. that morning, she decided something wasn’t quite right. She called her sister for advice, who told her to go to the emergency room to get checked—just to be safe.

Kristian dutifully went to her local hospital in Alexandria, LA. Because she was more than 20 weeks along, the hospital placed her under the care of the Labor & Delivery team, where they ran multiple tests to determine whether she was in labor.

“The monitor did not pick up any contractions, and they also performed an ultrasound at approximately 3 a.m., which showed that my baby was still breech,” Kristian recalled.

The team continued to monitor her over the next few hours, and at 7 a.m., the nurses changed shifts.

“A new nurse came in and did all the routine checks,” Kristian said. “That’s when she discovered that I was 5 centimeters dilated.”

The next few hours were a blur. Kristian was immediately moved into a Labor & Delivery room up on the floor and given medicine to slow her contractions, as well as steroids to help speed up the development of her baby’s lungs in the case of a premature delivery. She whispered to her baby that he just needed to stay in for one more day so he could reach that vital 24-week mark.

Kristian’s contractions continued, and specialists were in and out of her room.

“They kept asking if I wanted an epidural, but I declined,” she said. “And they also talked to me about the survival rate—just everything I needed to know and what to expect.”

At 10:30 p.m., Kristian’s water broke. By 5 a.m., a team of specialists stood in her room, waiting to provide any immediate medical intervention necessary. By now, her baby was no longer breech, and a little past 5:30 a.m., after three pushes, Aiden Herrion was born.

“They placed him on my belly and my sister, who had come to be with me, cut the umbilical cord,” Kristian said. “He came out kicking—he was already a fighter.”

After a few brief moments together, the medical team took Aiden to the NICU where they put him on breathing support and provided round-the-clock care during those first hours and days—a critical time for babies born as prematurely as Aiden. 

A few days later, Kristian was packing up her room and mentally preparing for the fact that she would need to leave her baby in the NICU. Although she understood that he was still in fragile condition because he was born so prematurely, it broke her heart to know she wouldn’t be by his side every minute of every day.

As she was gathering the last of her things, however, one of the NICU doctors came into her room. He explained that Aiden was experiencing some complications, including intestinal damage and a tear in his intestines, and that he would need to be transferred to Children’s Hospital New Orleans where he would receive the most advanced care possible.

Kristian dropped everything and went upstairs to the NICU to be at her baby’s side. The team answered all her questions and prepared Aiden for helicopter transport. Then, she said goodbye to her baby and went back downstairs to get discharged herself.

“They couldn’t have discharged me fast enough,” Kristian recalled. “While he was in the helicopter, I got in my car and drove straight there.” 

At Children’s Hospital New Orleans, Aiden was placed under the care of neonatologist Dr. Anne Tufton and Dr. Jeremy Lawson. When Kristian arrived, they carefully explained every step of Aiden’s care plan, including surgery for a drain tube in his belly and a central line in his chest. Then, they told Kristian to get some rest—urging her to prioritize her own health as well as her baby’s.

“They gave me permission to rest, which was so important and helped me get through all of this,” Kristian said.

The next morning, Dr. Tufton updated Kristian on Aiden’s condition. She explained that they had discovered a Grade IV brain bleed, which can occur in very premature infants, and that they were monitoring it closely. She also told Kristian that the next few weeks were critical for Aiden, and that babies born as prematurely as him often experience complications as they grow and develop outside the womb.

“For micro-preemies like Aiden, highly specialized care is critical to promote the healthiest and brightest future possible,” said Dr. Tufton. “At Children’s Hospital New Orleans, we have a Level IV NICU, which offers the highest level of specialized care for babies born prematurely or who are dealing with any kind of illness or complications. Through best practices and the expertise of our specialists, we work to support these tiny babies as they grow and develop, no matter what challenges they may face along the way.”

Over the following month, the specialists at Children’s Hospital New Orleans provided the most advanced care possible to Aiden. He required two rounds of antibiotics for infections, as well as multiple blood transfusions. Like many premature babies, he received nutrition through an IV (known as TPN – total parenteral nutrition), and he remained on breathing support as his tiny lungs slowly developed. His doctors also discovered a heart murmur, and he underwent a heart catheterization procedure to repair a PDA (patent ductus arteriosus), which is a heart condition in which a small fetal blood vessel does not close properly after birth, also a common complication in premature infants. In addition, Aiden had Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), an eye disease in which abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina in babies born prematurely.

Although these complications are all common for babies born as prematurely as Aiden, he was not a typical patient. The tiny preemie who came out kicking and fighting continued to show his strength and determination throughout his treatment and care.

“He was making his own plans the whole time,” Kristian said, adding that he was known for pulling his feeding tubes out. Kristian was able to stay on the Children’s Hospital campus through Aiden’s hospital stay and spent time with him daily, which was important for her peace of mind and allowed her to bond with her newborn.

At the end of September, Aiden slowly began bottle-feeding. He grew stronger and bigger, and the brain bleed that had been discovered in July had resolved itself. True to his personality, he has continued to face his challenges with unmatched strength and perseverance.

“The thing I keep coming back to is how grateful I am for everyone who helped us these past months,” Kristian said shortly before Aiden’s discharge from the NICU in mid-November.

Five days after going home, however, Kristian recognized Aiden was having breathing difficulties. She had been educated prior to his hospital discharge on what signs to look for that might suggest Aiden was in distress.

He was emergently taken back to the hospital of his birth where he was noted to be in significant respiratory distress. For the second time in his short life, Aiden was transferred to Children’s Hospital.

Aiden was initially cared for in the PICU after re-admission, where he was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in his blood. He was treated for this infection and showed gradual improvement, and he was subsequently transferred back to the NICU for ongoing care and preparation for discharge.

Kristian was able to progressively engage in her son’s care as he made continued progress up until his discharge home on the eve of his 6-month birthday. He will require medication and supplemental oxygen as he continues to recover from problems of prematurity, along with follow-up visits at home and occasional clinic visits at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Kristian said she will always be thankful for the doctors and the care team at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, including the respiratory team, the nurse practitioners, the NICU nurses, and the occupational, physical and speech therapy teams.

“They have provided the best care to Aiden, but they have also supported me and kept me uplifted during the hardest parts,” Kristian said. “It has been a true blessing to have them.”

To learn more about the high level of NICU care available at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, visit https://www.chnola.org/services/critical-care/neonatal-intensive-care/.