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Making an Unusual Entrance
When this Toms River couple encountered an unexpected pregnancy complication, in utero surgery and an emergency C-section at Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Perinatal Institute ushered their baby girl into the world with the greatest of care.
Alison and Craig Carlisle
of Toms River were filled
with joy as they anticipated the
arrival of their first baby in the
late summer of 2006. As they
progressed through routine
prenatal care with their local
obstetrician during Alison’s first
trimester, they were excitedly
making preparations for the
lifestyle changes to come with
the arrival of little Olivia. But
when a screening test showed
a high marker for Down
syndrome, Alison’s obstetrician
recommended that she see
a perinatologist with special
expertise in complex deliveries.
Alison was thus referred for
further testing to Charles Hux,
M.D., a board-certified
maternal-fetal medicine
specialist at Jersey Shore
University Medical Center.
Advanced Obstetric Diagnostics
Dr. Hux performed an amniocentesis,
taking a small sample of fluid that
surrounds the fetus and contains cells
with genetic information to help
diagnose chromosomal and other
disorders. The test revealed great
news — the baby was not at risk for
Down syndrome — and Alison happily
resumed her schedule of regular
checkups until her final trimester.
At one appointment, though, Alison
relates, "Fluid was identified around
the baby, and we were told we needed
to return to Dr. Hux right away."
At his office in Sea Girt, using 3-D
ultrasound, Dr. Hux confirmed the fluid in the baby’s lungs and arranged
for the expectant mother’s immediate
admission to Jersey Shore, where the
fluid needed to be drained.
Alison describes the whirlwind
of activity that day: "I went in for
a standard checkup in Toms River,
and before I knew it, I was whisked
to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for hospitalization and
delivery six weeks before my
due date."
A Prompt and Effective Care Plan
But Dr. Hux’s timely diagnosis
and clear delivery plan
quickly reassured the Carlisles.
As he explains the situation,
"The unborn baby’s lungs
were collapsed, and there
was fluid in her chest cavity
due to a rare lymphatic
problem. For the baby to
survive, we needed to extract
the fluid without disturbing
any lung tissue and make it
possible for her to breathe.
This was done with direct
needle guidance and the use
of ultrasound. Then, I did a
cesarean section to deliver
the baby, who was born with
very mild complications."
For the month following
Olivia’s July 27th birthday, she stayed
on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
(NICU) of K. Hovnanian Children’s
Hospital, where she was intubated
with two chest tubes and ultimately
recovered very well. When Alison
recalls this trying time, what stands
out most is the care and expertise of
the teams at Jersey Shore that she and Craig witnessed firsthand. "Not only
were the nurses phenomenal," she says,
"but we got to stay overnight in a
special parents’ room at the hospital
for the first five days. Every baby in
that area gets two nurses who go above
and beyond their duties to make sure
patients are comforted. And Dr. Hux
was very reassuring. People travel
across the country to find this level
of expertise, and he’s right here at
Jersey Shore. He’s Olivia’s guardian
angel. Dr. Bautista and the other
neonatologists were also excellent.
The whole team there has really seen
it all, and they act accordingly."
Exceptional Expertise
Indeed, the specialized care delivered throughout Jersey Shore University Medical Center is among the best in the region, due in large part to physicians like Dr. Hux,
one of the few fetal surgeons in the state who has over 20 years of experience. One of Olivia’s pediatric specialists, Eduardo Bautista, M.D., contributes his expertise through the hospital’s Apnea Center, whereas Elsa Castro, M.D., Olivia’s pediatric cardiologist, monitors all NICU patients via the Infant/Toddler Assessment Program
As for Olivia herself, she is developing
very well, having weighed in at 12
pounds at 5 months old. And although
she’ll continue to be seen by her team
of experts for as long as necessary,
things are very enjoyable for the
Carlisles these days. Alison and Craig
are relishing their new life as parents,
and Alison has returned to her eventplanning
and fund-raising job for the
Ronald McDonald House, where her
motherhood experience has brought
a new perspective and an even deeper
empathy to her work on behalf of
families with sick children.
 – Ryan Younger
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The Perinatal Institute at Jersey Shore provides round-the-clock
coverage by board-certified specialists in maternal-fetal medicine.
Also known as "perinatologists," these specialists offer consultations,
advanced diagnostics, and targeted procedures for what are often
considered "high-risk pregnancies." Team members are affiliated
with Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and they work closely
with the pediatric experts of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at
K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital.
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