The Miracle baby who wouldn’t be here without Apollo Children’s Hospitals Doctors and Nurses

 

• Baby Nethran was born pre-term at 8 months of pregnancy.
• He was diagnosed antenatally to have hole in his heart

Chennai, 6^th August, 2019: Gayatri a resident from Tambaram, Chennai delivered a pre-term boy baby at Apollo Children’s Hospital in November 2018. Little did she know that the baby would have to fight to keep alive. Baby Nethran was first diagnosed with a hole in the heart followed by sepsis, recurrent lung collapses, rare cancerous tumour in the Liver and abnormal fusion of his skull bones.

Dr. Latha Kanchi Parthasarathy, Consultant Neonatologist, Apollo Children’s Hospitals along with her team played a crucial role in Nethran’s care through a eight month battle. Nethran underwent a series of procedures and chemotherapy at the Apollo Children’s Hospital throughout his treatment period.

(L to R) Dr.Lata Kanchi Parthasarathy, Consultant Neonatologist, Apollo Children’s Hospitals, Dr.Ramya Uppuluri, Pediatric Oncology,Apollo Children's Hospitals. Nurse Latha Asha Ram with baby Nethran, Dr.Meena,Dr.Balamourougane,Pediatric Surgeon and Urologist, Apollo Children's Hospitals, Dr.Musthafa Janeel, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Apollo Children's Hospitals, Dr.Srinivasa Paramasivam, Neurosurgeon, Apollo Children's Hospitals

Nethran was born on 9^th November 2018 in Chennai as a pre-term baby within eight months of conception. He was under the ventilator as his lungs were still in the development stage and he had a hole in the heart. His lungs were very delicate and kept collapsing repeatedly. He also developed the first sepsis attack which was curtailed with antibiotics. A routine ultrasound revealed an abnormal mass in the liver, which kept enlarging during the course of the treatment. On further investigation, a CT scan showed the possibility of a malignant tumour or a benign vascular mass, which turned out to be a Hepatablastoma (a rare cancerous tumour) post biopsy.

“To fight against this, we started chemotherapy, as we aimed to shrink the tumour before the liver surgery. Unfortunately, on the other hand the congenital hole in the heart was causing additional  problems. The blood entering the heart was flowing too much into the lungs through the hole, increasing the pressure to dangerous levels. We had to interrupt the chemotheraphy, and the child had to  immediately undergo open heart surgery. Post-surgery, the lungs were still very fragile and were continually collapsing. To worsen the situation, the child developed sepsis again, which put the baby in a life-threatening situation.” Said, Dr. Latha Kanchi Parthasarathy, Consultant Neonatologist, Apollo Children’s Hospitals.

Medical team with Nethran and his family

She added,“The baby did not give up and continued to fight, which motivated us to give it  our best. After a month from his cardiac surgery, we removed the right lobe of his liver along with the tumour. He again suffered a third sepsis attack which we cured by antibiotics. Continuous treatments gave us very positive improvement in the baby’s condition. To put more pressure on the treatment, his skull started fusing prematurely, causing an abnormal head shape (like a cone) increasing the pressure within his brain.  To cure this we  performed a cranial surgery .

His last cycle of chemotherapy was completed on 4th of July and ever since there has been positive results and Nethran was discharged.

About Apollo Hospitals:

It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap C Reddy made a pioneering endeavor by launching India’s first corporate hospital - Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Now, as Asia’s foremost trusted integrated healthcare group, its presence includes over 12,000 beds across 71 Hospitals, 3300 Pharmacies, over 90 Primary Care clinics  and 150 Diagnostic centers, 110  plus Telemedicine Centres, over 15 medical education centres and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research, Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of new medical advancements with the most recent investment being the commissioning of South East Asia’s very first Proton Therapy Centre in Chennai. Every four days, the Apollo Hospitals Group touches a million lives, in its mission to bring healthcare of international standards within the reach of every individual. In a rare honour, the Government of India had issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo's contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010.