In Depth: Against the Odds: Newborn Septuplets Face Tough Times Ahead

Transcription

Event Date(s): 07/16/2001 | Event Location(s): Washington, DC | Description: Every day brings a better chance of survival for the newborn septuplets in Washington, DC. EXT DAY WASHINGTON DC WS: Exterior of Georgetown Hospital. INT HOSPITAL CU: Intravenous bag and tubing. RACK FOCUS to CU: Cardiac monitor showing patient's heart rhythm and respiration. INT HOSPITAL NURSEY MS: In interview Children's Hospital of New York's Dr. Richard Polin says "Hopefully, these babies will do well, but they're at high risk for neurological handicaps. Their time in the nursery is going to be fraught with problems as any premature baby would have." 2 MS: NBC News's Robert Bazell and Polin stand next to an incubator. CU: Feeding bag hangs on IV pole. CU: Premature baby's feet (electrode attached to one foot) CU: Finger being placed in the palm of a premature baby's hand. CU: Premature infant Nazarette Colado (ph) inside incubator. CU: Scale with digital reading"7.39". MS: Baby Nazarette Colado lying inside incubator. CU: Nazarett's face (oxygen tube in her nose). MS: In interview Polin says"There have been many advances in neonatal intensive care over the past 10 years, but the septuplets are at a birth weight where the majority of babies do survive." CU: Sticker (listing chemical solution) on IV bag. CU: Premature baby (eyes covered and breathing tube in nose) lying inside incubator. MS: Woman (faces unseen) places special hat, which circulates water around the baby's head in the hours after birth, on newborn's head. MS: Newborn infant, attached to a respirator and wearing special hat, lying in bed. WS: Newborn inside incubator. MS: Bazell reports on camera. Zoom out from woman's hand inside incubator to MS of woman and man standing next to baby Adriana Beltree (ph) inside incubator. MS: Hands tend to premature baby in incubator. MS: In interview Beltree's mother (no name given), who has another premature infant, says"I'm trying to, you know, keep it realistic and hope for two months. It could be sooner, it could be later." INT CU: Framed childhood photo of the Pisner quintuplets. EXT DAY WS: Four of the Pisner quintuplets sitting with their parents. MS: In interview mother Pam Pisner says "The immediate thought was, `Oh, my god, how are we ever going to do this? How are we going to survive?'" WS: Three of the Pisner quintuplets load the car's trunk. INT HOSPITAL NURSEY MS: Premature infant lying inside incubator. VO: Bazell signs off in voice over from New York City, New York.