Clay Aiken's baby health scare

by Jennifer Jordan (Subscribe to Jennifer Jordan's posts) Sep 27th 2008 1:02PM

Categories: Newborns, Safety, Medical Conditions, Celeb Parenting, That's Entertainment

Mr. Aiken, welcome to the wonderful world of parenting. Sure, it's one filled with joy and happiness, but it's also, more than occasionally, one filled with fear. Clay Aiken learned about this less seemly side of parenting just weeks after the birth of his son. Aiken's son Parker was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, which affects the gastrointestinal tract, the symptoms of which had the American Idol star fearing for his young son's health.

Parker was throwing up everything he was eating and Aiken feared he would become dehydrated. Prior to that he'd been gassy for several weeks. Aiken was concerned about taking his son to the hospital, but then realized that, as the child's father, he would be given access to the hospital and that he had a responsibility to ask the questions his baby could not.

See, parenting brings out the best in us (at least most of the time). Aiken is well on his way to being a great dad. And, it's thanks to celebrities, much of the time, that the public becomes aware of certain health issues. Before yesterday I'd never heard of the pyloric stenosis condition, nor was I aware of its symptoms, which not might seem that bad to a new parent unaware of the hidden dangers of such symptoms in newborns. Luckily, Parker and family are doing well and the little tyke is well on the road to recovery.

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Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Eileen 9-27-2008 @ 1:33PM

My daughter had pyloric stenosis, I also had never heard of it before. She was born healthy, although she was 5 weeks early(she is a twin) she came home with me 2 days after her birth and about 10 days later started projectile vomitting constantly. When I called the doctor they said it was reflux and not to worry that they would see her at her 6 week check-up. After a few more days I called again, I told them I really thought something was wrong, I reminded them that I am not a first time parent and knew this was not normal, again told it's reflux to put rice in her cereal. Did this, now she just threw up even more. One day, she was sleeping a long time, I wanted to wake her up and could not get her to wake up without a real struggle. I found a doctor I heard great things about I called her up she spent time talking to me on the phone and told me to bring her in, upon first glance she said take her right to the hospital, she was critically ill, from dehydration and she was essentially starving to death. She got her surgery and did wonderful, and my husband chewed out our former group of doctors, we didn't even get an apology from them. Her surgeon said that they almost never see pyloric stenosis in girls or premature babies, they are usally boys and first born boys most often, not sure why. It was a scary time made worse by doctors that would not listen to me, we came very close to losing our daughter over this, the surgeon said in another couple of days she would have went to sleep and never woke up. Thankfully we listened to our gut and found a great new doctor who saved our daughter.

Paula Harrington 10-06-2008 @ 10:39AM

Apparently you completely missed what this is all about. Don't you think it's time to give up the stupid remarks..... How can you be so SMALL minded.

Deb 11-26-2008 @ 6:42PM

I think it's great that Clay wanted a child. Maybe later, he should look at DonorPride.com and give the information to people like himself who want to be Co-Parents....... http://www.donorpride.com