“It was a Really Tough Day to Leave…Without My Babies”

One in 10 babies are born premature in the U.S.

World Prematurity Day aims to bring awareness to that number.

Jackie Erovick, of West Fargo, thought she was just having pre-labor pains, instead she was going into labor, 6 ½ weeks early.

Despite having three healthy boys, it was a night that still brings her to tears.
 
Twenty-seven is the exact number of days Jackie Erovick’s twin boys were kept in the NICU.
 
“Most moms know the exact days, you don’t know the weeks or months but days,” says Jackie Erovick of West Fargo.
 
Jackie had an easy first pregnancy, so when it came time to have her twin boys Sawyer and Dawson, she was in shock.
 
“It was a really tough day to leave the NICU without my babies.”
 
An emotional nightmare that moms and dads go through every day.
 
“They were expecting a term or a healthy baby and when they leave their baby is here,” says Sanford Neonatologist Dr. Waseem Altaf.

“Sanford’s NICU is at capacity and 80% of those are premature.”
 
And often premature births come with major complications.
 
“Breathing, infection, respiratory, eye sight,” says Dr. Altaf.
 
According to the March of Dimes Foundation, complications relating to preterm births is the number one killer in young children.

For Jackie, her boys got lucky.

“For the most part their development has been right on track. Dawson does have a little speech delay which we’re working with and for the most part have caught it early,” says Erovick.
 
Jackie counts her lucky stars every day, but as she recalls her time in the NICU the emotions will never go away.
 
“It was four days before I could hold Dawson. That was really tough,” says Erovick.
 
Four days she couldn’t touch her child and 27 days she couldn’t bring them home.

Numbers that she will never forget.

Dr. Altaf says smoking, substance abuse and lack of prenatal care are linked to premature births.

But he says there is still much research to be done.