Thursday, October 08, 2009

Preemie head size

How big is a premature babies head? Or rather, just how small?

My favorite organization ever, Partners in Health, sent out a call for knitted caps to put on the heads of babies born in their clinic in the mountains of Rwanda. Of course, I couldn't resist, and promptly took up needles and wool to knit a hat using the pattern for preemies. But I'm not sure it's supposed to be this small.

Is a preemie baby's head as small as my fist? Or just larger than the top of a water bottle?



I hung out with Izzi and Tim and all their school buddies last week. I had a great time, but ended up going to a pub with a random boy who then asked me if he could be homeless on my floor. Weird. Tim mentioned that he enjoyed it when I referred to him on my blog and I said, "When did I mention you? Oh, you mean a year ago?" But then he said he hadn't read my blog in a while, so I promised I'd mention him so that he'd start reading it again. He specifically asked that I mention his [something] face, but now I can't remember what adjective he used. Pretty? Sexy? Funny? So there you are Tim, I have mentioned your pretty/sexy/funny face. Now you're like a celebrity!...among my mom and my sisters.

4 comments:

  1. A preemie's head is, indeed, as small as a fist...maybe not your cute little fist which, as I recall, you shook in my face once. But definitely small as a normal-sized fist.

    When the Blanco twins were born, we visited them quite frequently. Their tiny little skulls were so soft that the babies had to be turned regularly to keep them from settling into a flat shape - true story! Their heads fit in the palm of my hand...

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  2. Yes, premature babies can be tiny little things. My Mom used to be a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit. Some of the really REALLY premature babies could fit in the palm of your hand! She said their little feet were the same size as our Barbie dolls. Babies that small didn't used to survive, but there have been great medical strides made in the last 2 decades, so now, sometimes they make it, if they have access to really good equipment.

    You're such a sweetheart for making those!:)

    P.S. I'll have to e-mail you again sometime about my dream that you and I will someday found our own non-profit and work together to save the world. I found a great organization that gives $90,000 grants as seed money. Maybe in a few year we'll be ready, right? ;)

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  3. Did you let him be homeless on your floor? I need the rest of the story!

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  4. His mong face? I'm sorry I abandoned you with a homeless; he is a bit odd.
    See you next week? X

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