Health Care Heroes: Baby in the balance

The sights of bubbly babies and the sounds of squeals fill the postpartum unit at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee with love and joy.

But amidst all the moms and families and newborns is a team waiting in the wings and prepared for the unexpected.

Kindra Szarzynski has seen a lot as a registered nurse over the last five years in this unit, where she takes care of moms and babies after birth. One night in early September, she was caring for a baby boy just 23 hours old. Her colleague noted that the baby had minor head swelling and that Kindra and the baby’s doctor would monitor that during the night.

When she brought him to the nursery, she saw that the baby was pale and that his head was much larger than what is sometimes seen after labor.

“I had never seen head swelling like this, so I knew something wasn’t right,” said Szarzynski.

Immediately, she raised these issues with the NICU charge nurse and neonatologist, and the baby boy was whisked away to the NICU. There, it was found that he had a subgaleal hematoma, a bleed outside of the skull which can be fatal.

Thanks to her quick thinking and the actions of the NICU team, the boy was treated and made a full recovery. He was able to go home with his parents just two days later.

As a mother herself, Kindra understands that the care she and her teammates provide not only helps babies and parents grow and connect after birth, but also saves lives.

“From the midwives and doctors to the RNs and CNAs, we have the absolute best team,” said Szarzynski. “It’s a really great feeling to know that I made a difference in this infant’s life. I’m very grateful that he is perfectly healthy now.”