Joel Steven McCaughey, the last of the septuplets born to a central Iowa couple, is back on a ventilator Monday after doctors decided he needed help breathing again.
The same day his mother was released from the hospital, Joel, the "underdog" septuplet, leaped past five of his brothers and sisters Sunday by breathing on his own. Dr. Robert Shaw, the neonatologist overseeing the septuplets' care at Blank Children's Hospital, said doctors decided Sunday night that Joel needed rest and put him back on the machine."This is very typical for babies at this age and this size," Shaw said on NBC's "Today" show. "We were pleasantly surprised that he was ready to give it a try and not discouraged in the slightest that he needed some rest. That's very typical for this type of situation."
Joel had been in critical condition for several hours just after birth Wednesday. Firstborn Kenneth Robert was removed from the ventilator Friday and is still breathing on his own.
"I would hasten to add that ventilators are very sophisticated, computerized equipment that are capable of sensing exactly what needs each baby has and give the only the amount of support that's needed," Shaw said. "So, all of the babies who are on ventilatory support are doing most of the breathing on their own."
Kenneth remained in fair condition this morning, while Joel's condition was downgraded from fair to serious when he returned to the ventilator. The other five - two boys and three girls - also were are in serious condition at Blank Children's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.
"Last week we had very high expectations for these babies, and to this point, they have fulfilled all of those expectations remarkably well," Shaw had said earlier.
Bobbi McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) left Iowa Methodist Medical Center early Sunday afternoon and returned to her home about 10 miles south of Des Moines, having spent 37 days in the hospital.
The McCaugheys made worldwide news when their septuplets were born by Caesarean section nine weeks' premature. They are only the second set of septuplets known to be born alive.
Doctors have said the babies will be hospitalized into January, but hospital medical director Dr. David Alexander said several will likely be weaned from ventilators in the coming week.
The risk of cerebral palsy and other disorders is higher for premature babies, but Alexander said doctors "have seen no evidence of anything except normal neurological status of these babies."
In a letter printed in Time magazine's Dec. 1 issue, the surviving Dionne quintuplets - 63-year-old sisters Annette, Cecile and Yvonne - warned the McCaugheys that multiple births should not be seen as entertainment or a marketing tool. Born in 1934 in Ontario, Canada, the Dionnes were the first known surviving quintuplets. They were taken away from their impoverished parents by the state and displayed in "Quintland" for tourists.
McCaughey spokeswoman Marlys Popma responded by saying the McCaugheys have not discussed capitalizing on the family's new notoriety.
"This family, as I think you have seen over the last several days, is a very private, God-fearing family," she said. "They want to raise these children as normally as they can."