Duggars Rejoice: Baby 19, Josie Duggar, Comes Home, but May Have Tough Road Ahead (PICTURES)

(Scott Enlow/TLC Photo)

(CBS) Josie Duggar is finally coming home.

The 19th child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the Arkansas couple whose enormous family is documented on the TLC series "19 and Counting," spent her first six months of her life in neonatal intensive care.

The pregnancy was dangerous for both mother and child. Michelle Duggar suffered from preeclampsia and gave birth to Josie at only 25 weeks.

"It can be quite dangerous," says Eleni Tsigas, executive director of the Preeclampsia Foundation. "It is the leading cause of maternal death in this country.  It's also one of the leading causes of a baby dying, and if not dying, at least being born prematurely, like the Duggars'. 

PICTURES: Josie Brooklyn Duggar Comes Home

Preeclampsia afflicts between five and eight percent of all pregnancies. In the US, few women die of the condition. But around the world, it contributes to 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year, according to the foundation. Stroke is often the culprit.

"It's very important that women know the warning signs," says Tsigas.

High blood pressure, swelling of the face and hands, sudden weight gain, headaches, vomiting, lower back pain, and changing vision are all signs, but many healthy pregnant women experience them as well, so a doctor must make the diagnosis.

The Duggars say they are now moving from the medical drama to focus on the home drama of managing a family of 19 children.

"It is good to be home," a laughing Michelle Duggar told People. "It is surreal to be here. It was such a long time we were away."

But Dr. Tom Easterling, a professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Washington and a high-risk pregnancy specialist who hasn't seen the Duggars, says the family may not out of the woods yet.

"It's still a long road," he says. "Babies that are born at 25 weeks have risk for cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, and learning disabilities."

And Easterling says if there are problems, they may not appear right away.

"There are babies that seem to have perfect nursery courses that wind up with disabilities and others that struggle that wind up just fine," he says. "They don't really know yet."

For now the Duggars are just happy to be home with their new baby girl, who weighs 9 lbs., 1 oz..

"She has a double chin now," Michelle Duggar told People. "It is so precious."

More information at the Preeclampsia Foundation

14 Photos

Josie Duggar Comes Home

[svenjuice]

I wonder about the Duggars carbon footprint. They are the absolute definition of selfish decadence. The parents want this big family, regardless of the consequences. With almost 7 BILLION people on this planet, how do these religious wackos justify this reckless behavior???

[papandreas]

I am so happy to hear that little Josie is able to go home and be with her family! Preeclampsia is not to be taken lightly. It is so common and yet so few women know about it. That is why it continues to claim thousands of mommies and babies every year. With proper treatment and care, both mommy and baby should be alright, just like little Josie and Michelle.

I have actually written a book called A Mom and Dad's Guide to Preeclampsia that is designed to help expectant moms and dads with dealing with preeclampsia. This is not something that only effects the mom-to-be. The dad needs to step up to take extra special care of his extra special girl and her Extremely Extra special baby! I wrote this as a guidebook with real examples of how my awesome wife and I reacted to the diagnosis and how our lives changed for the better. Now we want to share our story and help as many families as possible and give back in the process. That is why we are donating 10% of all our profits to benefit the Preeclampsia Foundation. They are such an amazing group of people who are doing so much to create awareness, support families, and fund research to discover more about this condition and ways of curing it. We are honored to be giving to such a worthy cause.

[Goomer54401]

This is really only a big deal in this day and age. Years ago it was very common. My Mother was one of 22 children and her Mother, (My Grandmother) lived to be 101. All the children were healthy, happy, graduated highschool and all but one graduated from college. It isn't the norm now, however, with rising cost of living, etc. But it was the norm back in the day. I can't imagine just doing laundry for a family this large! Think of my Grandmother with a washboard and a wringer/washer. Yikes.

[SandraCannon]

Does anyone else think this lady has mental issues? How do you justify having child #19 at that age with those problems? She HAD to know there would be risks to the babies health, no Dr. on earth would have told her differently but yet she CHOSE to get pregnant AGAIN at the expense of the babies health and welfare, not to mention future. Good job freakazoid, poor baby, all your fault this kid is going to grow up with physical and mental problems all because you wanted 19, had nothing to do with what the RIGHT thing to do was, just about what SHE wanted. Selfish, selfish, selfish. Go to a shrink lady, you need some serious mental help.

[AbidingGrace]

Let's see.... I read the TOS and it clearly says that "personal attacks" are prohibited. Yet, it seems perfectly acceptable to personally attack this family.

When did we become a society that speaks so nonchalantly about such personal things? The Clown Car metaphor is repugnant and any person with even a scintilla of decency wouldn't use it, that is of course, if it wouldn't be okay if others said that about their mothers, wives, and sisters. People who lower themselves to obscenity are really in no position to be making moral judgments about others.

UnChristian? You've got to be kidding. Actually, the scriptures say that anything that does not come from faith is sin. Since the Duggars have placed their faith in God, it's not sin. These children use half the resources of a family with 1 spoiled child. They certainly aren't obese. That probably has something to do with the fact that their parents don't allow them endless video games, to say nothing of the trash that is on television. They don't swear (which is more than I can say about some of the people who posted here), mock others or even judge you. Almost all of them play two instruments and some three. They care about each other, are kind and respectful. They are self-sufficient and do not live off of the public coffers. Note, I said they were respectful of others, yet people can't be respectful of them. How very hypocritical.

I applaud their courage and conviction. Two things that are sorely lacking in American society, as evidenced by the whole idea that someone owes them a living.

I guess that sums it up. They aren't hurting anyone. I guess people just can't understand things like using gracious manners any longer. How sad.

[alancontact]

I think of the thousands of kids who have no home, this is enough to make me sick. If television shows would quit glamorizing large family production, then maybe couples wouldn't try to manufacture kids for a profit. And if people would quit watching these train wreck shows, then there would be less incentive to do them. People who birth enormous families are extremely self-centered and selfish. There should be a law that says for every 3 children you birth, you have to adopt at least one.

[andie52]

It?s absolutely pathetic I wonder if they are going to keep having more babies. Supposedly she has already had surgery for prolapsed organs I have to wonder if reproduction is what holds this marriage together.

[lisa104]

Considering the Duggars had 15 children before ever being on television I don't think they manufactured them just to be on television. Neither did my co-workers mother who had 14 or the lady down the street who had more than a dozen. It's nothing new. That it's on television is because people find it interesting. Oh yes, let's enact a law saying you must adopt a child. Hip-hip-hooray for the poor child who is forced into a family whether they want it or not. That makes sense. Everyone's cut out to adopt, right?

[lilbear925]

Raising a child in today's economy costs about half a million dollars. Just what does this guy do for a living that he can afford that many children?

[LilyAnn0221]

It doesn't cost nearly that much. For 18 years in a middle-class family, somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000, with college.

The article states they have a TV show on TLC. The Gosselins reportedly made about 60,000 an episode. An an episode was once a week. If it was half that for these people, they could still easily afford a living with those kids.

[HeavyDennis]

C.r.e.e.p.y and U.g.l.y. looking baby eh?

[nobsfromu]

T.H.A.T is H.O.W P.R.E.M.I.E.S L.O.O.K

[gilly2945]

this woman's insides are like jelly now, what if something happens to her if she gets pregnant again? Her daughters will be expected to take care of all of the kids The girls are always in skirts when do they exercise/play - its good for their physical health - please and will someone do something w/their hair it always looks dirty.

[corkscr3w]

There are some jealous clown cars right now wondering how this is possible!