Baby weighing less than 500 grams fights all odds to go home
First time parents from Kangra, Archana, 38 yrs and Sachin 42 yrs were finally able to conceive after almost 13 yrs of marriage with help of IVF treatment undergone at Bedi hospital.
“Unfortunately the mother started having complications from the first week of pregnancy itself, for which she was admitted at Bedi hospital for 10 days, then had intermittent bleeding episodes, for which they took treatment in Kangra. These cases are labelled as high risk pregnancy. She came in emergency with frank leakage of water bag, and premature labour pains 4 months before due date. She was admitted in high risk pregnancy unit of Bedi Hospital for further management” said Dr GK Bedi, Head of Infertility and Gyne Department at Bedi Hospital.
She had to be given intensive treatment to prolong the gestation period and control infection, which was detrimental both for the baby and the mother.
Eventually, Baby of Archana, was born on 17th March 2019 at 24 weeks of gestation weighing merely 487 grams. The baby was barely the size of an adult palm. his condition was critical and was immediately shifted to level III NICU at bedi hospital. Practically all the vital organs were compromised due to extreme prematurity like lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, blood circulation, digestive system etc.
Dr RS Bedi, Director Bedi Hospital said that “The chances of survival of such babies are merely 20-30% internationally, but in Indian scenario such premature babies are in grey zone of viability, the achievement thus not only match International standards, but exceeds in a way because of additional factors prevailing in countries like india such as infertility, poor hygiene and nutrition status, infections, lack of continuous monitoring in remote areas etc. in developed countries such patients are admitted in superspeciality hospitals from the very beginning.”
The baby had extremely tough course during its stay of 110 days. The baby was nursed in special incubator and required ventilator support for 75 days (two and a half months) in total, out of which the baby was kept for 4 days on advanced ventilator known as, high frequency ventilators (HFO). The total Oxygen requirement of the baby was for 99 days. The baby also underwent laser eye surgery at Bedi hospital NICU”, said Dr Jaskaran Singh, a new born specialist at Bedi Hospital.
“Due to lack of development of the gut, special central lines had to be inserted to give fat, proteins and carbohydrates for maintaining nutrition, in the veins for 32 days. The baby developed a life threatening complication of prematurity called NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis), with mortality of more than 50 % which usually requires urgent corrective surgery. But due to judicious management the baby survived the scare. Surgery coul
d be prevented and now he is on full mother feeds” said Dr Vikram Bedi, New Born specialist.
Baby had other life threatening complications like infection in the blood, kidney and liver, with platelet count dropping precariously to as low as 1000, requiring multiple (22) transfusions….! Due to technology, 24/7 diagnostic facilities and highly skilled neonatology team the baby is now being discharged to go home, further added Dr Vikram Bedi.
In fact IMA in 2017 has issued guidelines on fetal viability in countries like India “ born between 20-24 weeks of pregnancy is not a viable child, and it is not advised to resuscitate him or her, but the child should be given comfort care”
Dr R.S. Bedi further added that “This is not the only such case, last year a baby was discharged from Bedi hospital NICU who was just 650 gm and is still coming for follow up and is a healthy 11.5 kg now.”
The father said that “we got a baby through IVF done by them after 12 years of marriage when we had lost all hope then we were deeply aggrieved since day one of pregnancy because of complications regularly. Our final hope dashed when the delivery happened at 24 weeks with child living from day to day and becoming almost precarious many a times during almost four months of stay in NICU. The child has endured 22 transfusions. Our heart sank so many times and we lived with prayers, anxiety, stress and hope for almost four months. The doctors and staff not only were the saviours in form of god, but Dr shishpal gave his own blood to save the childs life. One after the other complication arose but doctors didn’t feel strained. The child underwent timely laser eye surgery in nicu which saved his vision. It is a gift of life by the god and by doctors of bedi hospital ”
Baby weighing less than 500 grams fights all odds to go home
Mother archana said emotionally “we cannot thank the doctors of bedi hospital enough, as we have experienced two miracles here, first being able to conceive through IVF when we had lost all hope and secondly survival of such a premature baby. We just want to say that parents should have faith in the doctors as they work day and night to save their patients. The baby came out of the NICU on july 1st, doctors day, befittingly saluting the effort of the doctors.”
