Norlane baby’s battle contributes to scientific breakthrough

A Norlane baby’s health battle has helped contribute to significant research which will help babies like him in the future.

Simantha and Warwick Nation with son Atticus who was born with chronic lung disease. Picture: Brad Fleet

A new study involving a Norlane baby has found a blood test can help predict which premature babies will go onto develop chronic lung disease, allowing for earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatments.

Warwick Atticus Nation was born at just 26 weeks, weighing in at just 807g, at Mercy Health.

Days later the bub, known as Atti, was diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), also known as chronic lung disease.

Mum Simantha Nation said when Atti reached five months, he nearly lost his battle with the illness.

“His health took a dire turn and his condition became critical,” she said.

“We were told by staff to say our goodbyes in case he didn’t make it through the night.

“I can’t tell you how hard it was, holding him for hours and not being sure if it was the last time.”

Simantha and Warwick Nation with son Atticus who was born with chronic lung disease.

Atti spent a total of 263 days in the NICU at Mercy Hospital and then Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), reliant on a specialised ventilator to keep him alive while his parents spent most of that first year driving between Norlane and Melbourne to visit their son.

The family participated in research run by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), hoping to help families facing BPD in the future.

“Atticus” Nation, was born at Mercy Health to parents Simantha and Warwick, weighing in at just 807g, and struggled to breath from his first gasp of air.

The disease affects 65 per cent of premature babies, usually when a baby’s lungs are damaged by respiratory support.

It results in lifelong chronic lung disease and neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Along with researchers from The University of Melbourne, The Royal Women’s Hospital and The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the study found a blood test could help predict which preterm babies may go onto develop chronic lung disease.

The research, published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology found changes in certain blood proteins, alongside gestational age, birth weight and gender, strongly predicated BPD within 72 hours of life.

MCRI’s Dr Prue Pereira-Fantini said the current ability to predict, prevent and treat BPD was limited, and failed to look at the disease pathology.

Dr Pereira-Fantini said a BPD diagnosis is currently made at 36 weeks postmenstrual age – a time frame that takes into account both the time they were in the womb and the time since they were born.

For a premature baby, this could translate to a number of weeks or months old.

Dr Pereira-Fantini said such a late diagnosis limited potential treatments that could minimise lung injury.

“Our team was able to identify certain proteins in the blood, which when combined with other key birth measures, may predict BPD as early as four hours post-birth.”

She said researchers were now using findings to develop a lung injury assessment tool for assessing preterm babies for risk of BPD.

“The tool, including a blood test, would provide clinicians with the ability to guide respiratory decisions from birth, giving these babies more chances towards a healthy life,” Dr Pereira-Fantini said.

Atticus Nation was born at Mercy Health weighing in at just 807g, and struggled to breath from his first gasp of air.

In March, Atticus was finally sent home, his time in the hospital a beacon of hope for future premature babies.

Dad Warwick Nation said Atticus was now thriving at home and growing every day, but still reliant on a tracheostomy to breathe at night, and learning sign language to communicate.

“We were really quick to put out hands up contribute (to the research) to make things easier for people like Atti down the track,” Mr Nation said.

Originally published as Norlane baby’s battle contributes to scientific breakthrough