From the NICUParents community on Reddit: Suggestions needed
Update on my baby (NICU – respiratory support journey):
We had an airway evaluation done today to understand why my baby still requires CPAP support.
The team completed an upper airway evaluation, and the results came back normal — no structural abnormalities, no obstruction, and everything appears anatomically sound in the upper airway.
They mentioned that a lower airway evaluation (deeper bronchoscopy) would only be considered if there is a need for more invasive intervention like a tracheostomy, so they are not pursuing that at this time.
Clinically, my baby remains stable:
On CPAP (FiO2 ~26–28%)
Oxygen saturations consistently >95%
No significant desaturation events
Still showing moderate retractions and tachypnea, but no worsening
The doctors mentioned that while there hasn’t been significant improvement over the past couple of weeks, there’s also no deterioration — which they see as a stable phase.
At this point, it seems like the ongoing need for support may be more related to lung development (possibly evolving BPD) rather than any airway structural issue.
Would really appreciate hearing from others who’ve been through similar situations — especially regarding how long babies can stay in this “stable but slow improvement” phase and what helped them progress.