HOUSTON – Many of us drink soda or coffee for a caffeine fix. And now doctors are turning to caffeine to help premature babies get stronger.
Michelle Gonzalez can finally hold her twin daughters in her arms. Lili and Lia were born premature and each weighed less than 2 pounds at birth.
"It's out of your hands," Gonzalez said. "There is nothing you can do but hope for the best and have faith. That's how I came up with their middle names Hope and Faith."
Gonzalez said her faith helped her through her difficult journey, which included an unexpected treatment to help her babies survive. Her children received small injections of caffeine as part of their care.
"We've actually found that with small, premature infants, their breathing is actually stronger and better on caffeine," neonatologist Dr. Paige Jackson said.
Jackson said caffeine works by stimulating a premature baby's tiny diaphragm, lungs and brain.
"They are all half Colombian, so they are starting with their lattes a little early," Jackson joked.
Another common condition with premature babies is called pulmonary hypertension of the lungs. And for that, there's another surprising treatment.
"We use Viagra if we need to improve blood flow to the baby's lungs," Jackson said.
Gonzalez's babies didn't receive the Viagra treatment, but the caffeine did make a difference. The girls have gained a lot of weight and are a lot healthier than when they were born. Gonzalez said she hopes to take them home in the next few weeks.
"They're Hope and Faith for a reason, and they are getting the best care that they possibility can," Gonzalez said.
The doses of the drugs for premature babies have to be handled very carefully. The medical team must modify the treatment so it only provides the benefit and does not harm the newborns.