European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Azire  for survival technology helps baby overcome life threatening disorders amps Scott a Miller Frazier Kulze and his parents Ann and John visit the neonatal intensive care unit at lands Uhi West Germany where he was a patient. By Janet do Agostino medical writer a there were Many times we thought he was not going to make  a Ann Kulze when Alexander Frazier Kulze was born his tiny lungs failed to work the Way they should. Instead they continued to function As though Frazier were still inside the womb and depending on his Mother s circulation to provide him with oxygen. He suffered from a life threatening disorder called persistent fetal circulation in which blood is passed from the right Side of the heart to the left instead of filtering through the lungs to be oxygenated. For his first five Days Frazier swung Back and Forth Between life and death at the lands Uhi army regional medical Center where he was born on March 28. Quot there were Many times we thought he was not going to make it Quot said Frazier s Mother Ann Kulze who is a civilian physician at the Hospital. Frazier s father capt. John Kulze is an Eye doctor at the Hospital. The cause of persistent fetal circulation is not always known but it can be triggered by infection. It also occurs in babies who Are born late and have swallowed their own focal material into their lungs while in the womb said or. Capt Joseph Pohl Ann s obstetrician. Blood tests indicated that Frazier May have been suffering from an infection. There were no other clues As to Why he should have developed persistent fetal circulation. Quot what basically took place in this Case is that we had a healthy baby who really had nothing else wrong with him born to a healthy Mother Quot said or maj Charles Garbarimo a paediatrician and specialist in disorders of the Newborn. Quot we did t expect any problems Quot Garbarino is chief of Lan Stuhl s neonatal intensive care unit where Frazier was treated. The Only treatment for persistent fetal circulation is to provide the baby with fluid and oxygen and to help him breathe by putting him on a Respirator while waiting for the lungs to do what they Are supposed to do. As Frazier s lungs grew worse the settings on the Respirator were turned to the maximum. However the Respirator itself can damage a baby s lungs. Quot Friday afternoon John and i walked into the Nursery to see him. And i could Tell something very bad had happened Quot Ann said. Frazier had developed a complication called a pneumothorax in which air collects Between the lungs and Chest Wall. A tube was inserted in his Chest to remove the air. But the baby s health continued to deteriorate to the Point where there was Little More that could be done Lor him with the medical equipment available at lands Uhi. Garbarino called or. Walter Kachel a specialist at the University childrens Hospital in Mannheim it was the Only one of the four German hospitals Garbarino routinely works with that had the two machines that could save Frazier s life. One machine was a Respirator with a special devise that vibrates the lungs at a High frequency providing better ventilation for the baby. The other was a heart lung machine that takes blood from the infant cleans it of waste products supplies it with oxygen and then passes it Back into the infant s body. A specialized medical team must be at the baby s bedside constantly because of the intricate Workings of the machine and the complications that can develop. Frazier was transported by army helicopter to the Mannheim Hospital. He was put on the specialized Respirator twice but with no improvement. He developed More problems and reached a critical Point. The fact that his parents were physicians Only made the situation worse. Quot we knew All the complications All of it. That was very difficult for us Quot she said. Quot we reached the Point where we could t look at the numbers anymore. We asked the physicians not to Tell us specifics. We just wanted to know if he was the same worse or better the specialized Respirator was used in one last attempt before placing Frazier on the heart lung machine Kachel said. This time with Success. Quot he did beautifully for whatever reason Quot Ann said Quot from that Point on he continued to do Well. It saved his  six Days after their baby s birth the Kuzes finally Felt that Frazier would live. They credit his life to both the american and German doctors who worked so diligently to keep the baby from dying. Ten years ago the baby would have died because this life saving technology was not available. Even in the United states the specialized Respirator and heart lung machine Are found Only in Large medical centers Garbarino said. Frazier is Home with his 16-month old sister and doing Well. His condition will be followed by specialists at the army s exceptional family member department and at the High risk clinic for babies who have been in the intensive care unit to ensure that he continues to develop normally. Frazier breathes a Little rapidly and with Effort at times but this is to be expected. His lungs Are More vulnerable to infection because of the damage from the respirators but this should pass with time Garbarino said Frazier is a Little weaker than other babies his age but is steadily growing stronger. As his Mother Points out Quot look what he went  tuesday May 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13