Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad today briefed media personnel about the case of a Baby boy who was born prematurely (30 week gestation period when the normal gestation period is 38-42 weeks) and suffered three serious diseases after birth.
This is one of the smallest such babies to survive in the literature. Who had undergone a major surgery at this tender weight and age despite having immature lungs and extreme difficulty in breathing, needing prolonged ventilator support.
The surgery was performed successfully & the baby was soon stabilized on relevant post-operative care in neonatal ICU. The baby needed to be kept nil by mouth for 15 days.
The baby who was born to a 28 year old mother weighed 1.3 kg at birth was detected as having a congenital defect called “DUODENAL ATRESIA” in one of the ultrasounds done on mother during pregnancy. It is a complete closure of a portion of the lumen of duodenum leading to intestinal obstruction. This was treated by surgical correction of the obstruction & by post –operative care which involved the intake of fluids, electrolytes & nutrition through intravenous route. Baby was required to be kept nil by mouth for several days (upto two weeks following surgery) and was on Oxygen and ventilator support. The surgery was performed on the 6th day of life.
The prematurity of the birth resulted in the baby suffering from difficulty in breathing & maintaining oxygen levels in blood. “This condition which was a result of underdeveloped lungs due to the prematurity in birth is called RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME / HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE OF THE NEWBORN. This is a syndrome in premature babies caused by insufficient surfactant production and structural immaturity of the lungs” said Dr. Jyotinder Kaur, Consultant Paediatrician Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad, who spearheaded the team that treated the baby. This condition was adequately treated by putting the baby on ventilator support soon after birth & by administering surfactant. The baby was fed for the first time and this was on the 16th day after birth.
During the course of treatment for the above the baby developed BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA which again is a chronic lung disorder in babies born prematurely & with low birth weight. “This is a very difficult condition to treat in newborns and was treated successfully with appropriate medication and ventilation” said Dr Jyotinder Kaur. “We have seen cases where new born babies have suffered from both duodenal atresia as well as Broncho pulmonary dysplasia. In those cases it occurred separately but here it is a combination of these conditions on baby and the successful treatment of this is a testament to the endurance and patience both the team of doctors as well as the parents of the baby.
Although Duodenal Atresia and Bronchopulmoary Dysplasia have been treated successfully if occurred separately in babies, it is the combination of these difficult conditions occurring together in a baby born so prematurely and with this small weight and treated successfully make this unique. Despite so many interventions and procedures, the baby did not develop any infection throughout the ICU stay. This baby weighed 2.2 kg at discharge, is neurologically normal, taking mother’s milk like any normal baby.
Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad Dr P K Dave said “Surgeries on such premature babies are very complex and require high skill, the baby’s ability to tolerate such surgeries is less. Post operative care and state of the art infrastructure is of immense importance in creating positive outcomes.”
About Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad: Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad established in 2003 is a 251 bed multi-specialty quaternary care hospital that provides holistic healthcare including prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and health education for patients and their families. With a dedicated and highly trained team of health care professionals, Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad is playing a critical role in further strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in Gujarat by setting new benchmarks in quality standards in healthcare delivery.
For further information please contact: Mr. Sandip Joshi – +91 -7698815013
