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Sixth McCaughey baby comes off ventilator
Alexis Expert: Chances of survival 98 percent
November 27, 1997
Web posted at: 6:39 p.m. EST (2339 GMT)DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- As friends and family of the McCaughey septuplets gave thanks Thursday for their very special blessings this year, another of the babies came off a ventilator and started breathing on its own.
Alexis May was upgraded from serious to fair condition, joining Kenneth Robert, Natalie Sue, Kelsey Ann, Joel Steven and Brandon James on the list of babies breathing on their own.
A week after the septuplets' history-making birth, only one baby, Nathaniel Roy, remains in serious condition, breathing with assistance of a ventilator.
The parents, Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey, planned to spend much of Thanksgiving Day at the hospital with their children.
A L S O :
First pictures of McCaughey septuplets
"They're spending a lot of time at the hospital now that they're able to hold the babies," said family spokeswoman Marlys Pompa.
Grandfather Ken McCaughey said he's thankful this year "not just for seven new reasons, but many reasons."
"I'm just confident the Lord's going to handle this. He's brought them this far, and I think he's going to carry it through," said McCaughey, Kenny's father.
Val McCaughey and her 22-month-old granddaughter Mikayla McCaughey The six babies who have been weaned off the ventilator are being fed food through tubes in their nose, as they can't yet suck and feed on their own. Nathan is still being fed intravenously.
Going from intravenous feedings to oral feedings is an important milestone because it reduces the chance of infection. And a fourth of all premature infants who die are felled by infection, according to Tim Cooper, an assistant professor of neonatology at the Baylor College of Medicine.
"These (babies) are keepers," said Cooper. "If you're alive at seven days and were born at 31 weeks (of gestation), then your chance of living is 98 percent."
The McCaughey septuplets are only the second known set of seven babies to be born alive and the only ones to survive this long.
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Related stories:
- Three more septuplets upgraded to fair condition - November 26, 1997
- Second septuplet upgraded as mother gives interview - November 25, 1997
- Septuplet Joel back on ventilator - November 24, 1997
- Septuplets' mom goes home - November 23, 1997
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