The girl was discharged after spending 170 days under critical care
A premature baby girl, weighing only 420 gm at birth, has survived against all odds, thanks to the efforts of a team of doctors lead by Sai Sunil Kishore, chief neonatologist at Medicover Hospital.
The baby born on July 31 last year, during the 23rd week of pregnancy of her mother, was discharged in a healthy condition with a weight of 1.65 kg on January 21, after spending 170 days in the hospital.
A child born after 40 weeks of gestation is called a full-term delivery, and anything below 37 weeks is considered a pre-term delivery. In India, only 1% of the babies born before 28 weeks of pregnancy.
“The baby weighed just 420 gm when she was born. She was in an extremely critical state and the chances of her survival were minimal, even by the western standards,” Dr. Sunil Kishore told the media on Wednesday.
The doctor said her lungs and other organs were functionally so immature that her development was stunted.
‘Zero immunity’
“She had zero immunity, thus prone to severe infections. The baby was administered surfactant injections to make her immature lungs to breathe. She was also given medicines and nutrition through hair thin central lines,” said Dr. Sunil Kishore.
At this stage, she had very immature transparent skin, which mandated extreme care to avoid infections. She required invasive ventilation for 25 days and non-invasive ventilation for 30 days. The baby was given only mother’s milk. She was under supportive care which helped her survive, he said.
“With advanced technology and healthcare, such micro preemies can be saved. Now, Now, she is taking feeds well, with normal vision and brain function. She will require regular doctor check-ups for the next two years,” said Dr. Sunil Kishore.
Source: Read Full Article
