Premature baby weighing 790 gm gets fresh lease of life in Hoshiarpur hospital

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, January 12

A six-month-old premature baby girl weighing just 790 grams got a new lease of life after she was treated successfully by Dr Amit Nagpal, consultant, Paediatric and Neonatology at at a local hospital.

Dr Nagpal said the mother came to the emergency department of Ivy hospital around 3 am in morning complaining of abdominal pain. She was admitted and shifted immediately to the labour room where she gave birth to the baby at 4 am. The baby had birth asphyxia and she did not cry immediately after birth. The neonatal resuscitation was given and the baby was intubated and shifted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with bag and tube ventilation.

The baby was admitted in NICU after taking consent from parents and put on ventilator support. Parents were counselled regarding the extreme prematurity and its complication.

All necessary investigations were sent and treatment was started with I/V fluids, I/V antibiotics and other supportive treatment. An initial investigation revealed septicaemia and chest X-ray suggestive of respiratory distress syndrome for which injection was given for lung maturity. The ventilator support was continued for 10 days then baby was extubated and weaned-off to NIV CPAP support, said Dr Nagpal.

He further said that parenteral nutrition started on day 1. Feeds started with minimal enteral feeding and were gradually built up. NIV CPAP support was continued for next few weeks. Baby had prematurity related problems such as apnoea, anaemia, hypocalcemia, and neonatal seizure.

Baby responded well to the treatment. Regular monitoring was done. Laser therapy was given as advised by the ophthalmologist.

Gradually feeds were building up and the baby was shifted from tube feeding to oral spoon feeding and then to direct breastfeeding, said Dr Nagpal. During the discharge, the baby was stable hemodynamically and was accepting the feed quite well and was gaining weight. She was discharged after 35 weeks gestational age with a discharge weight of 1.45 kg, said Dr Amit Nagpal from Paediatric and Neonatology Department.