Born at 22 weeks, one of India’s youngest Pre-term Baby survives at Rainbow Children’s Hospital (first in South India)
- Team led by Dr. Rahul Yadav; Rainbow Children’s Hospital successfully treat a baby boy who was born extremely pre-term
25th
September 2019, Chennai: A team of expert
neonatologists, led by Dr. Rahul Yadav at Rainbow Children’s Hospital today
showcased the successful treatment administered to a baby boy who was born
during second trimester, at 22 weeks weighing 510gms. The baby was born to Mrs.
Geetha, a 38-year-old mother from Chennai.
Mrs. Geetha had given birth to twins at 22 weeks
of gestation owing to pre-labor rupture of membrane. The babies were initially
born and managed in NICU elsewhere. However, one of the twin babies passed away
within few days. The other baby twin was transferred to Rainbow Children’s
Hospital on fourth day of life, for further management of prematurity and
respiratory distress.
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| (L to R) Dr. Arun Kumar, Senior Consultant – Neonataology, Dr. Rahul Yadav, Lead Consultant – Perinatology and Neonatology, Dr. Shobana, Senior Consultant – Neonataology along with the family of the baby |
The baby, who was born at 22 weeks of pregnancy,
not only faced difficulty in breathing, but also had gelatinous skin, weak
bones and Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (a chronic lung disease). Weighing only
380g at the time of admission, the baby required extensive supervision and 24*7
intensive support to survive and recover.
Scientifically, the
success rate of survival of babies born in the second trimester, at 22 weeks,
is almost nil and very rare. At Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Dr. Rahul Yadav, Lead Consultant,
Perinatology and Neonatology, along with his team, Dr. Shobana Rajendran, Senior Consultant, Neonatology and Dr. Arun Kumar, Senior Consultant,
Neonatology, have treated the baby in a double walled incubator by assisting
the baby to breathe using surfactants and ventilator. Additionally, the doctors
supported the baby with nutritional rehabilitation and non-invasive respiratory
support and developmental supportive care.
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Mr. Arivazhagan, Father of the baby speaking on
the successful treatment provided by Rainbow Children’s Hospital
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Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Rahul Yadav,
Lead Consultant, Perinatology and Neonatology said, “Knowing that the survival rate of a 22-week-old baby is very low, the
responsibility of saving the baby was very high. Mrs. Geetha had conceived twin
babies, of which one died after delivery. The obstetricians of Mrs. Geetha
advised and recommended for the baby to be brought to Rainbow Children’s
Hospital, and the baby was brought in a very critical condition with acute difficulty
in breathing and infection of the lungs. Our team stretched themselves to bring
about a remarkable difference to the life of the child and to its parents by
improving the health and now the child has gained good weight and is pretty
stable. This was only possible due to
the confidence placed by the parents in my team”
He also added that, “Within the last one year, we have successfully treated five extremely
pre-term babies who were born before 25 weeks. We would like to emphasize that
there is life for pre-term babies who are born with low chances of survival”
Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Rajmohan, General Manager, Rainbow
Children’s Hospital said, “At Rainbow
Children’s Hospital, each and every life is very precious and we are equipped
with some of the most advanced machines to help us in this endeavor. We
congratulate Mrs.Geetha and her baby and we are happy that Rainbow Children’s
Hospital has been a part of the baby’s journey”
The hospital helped the parents to raise funds
through a crowd funding activity to receive the treatment. The baby at
discharge was 1.54kg after 100 days of intensive care. At follow up the baby is
doing well and is weighing 3.5Kg with age appropriate milestone and his
eye/hearing screening are normal pointing towards a neurologically normal
child.
About Rainbow
Children’s Hospital: Rainbow Children’ Hospitals is a leading group
of Children’s hospitals with 18 years of experience offering high standards of Perinatal
Care and Paediatric Super Speciality services, with 11 units spread over Delhi,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Chennai. It is the first corporate
children's hospital in India. Setting the benchmark in neonatal and paediatric
intensive care, Rainbow has played a major role in saving thousands of
critically ill children and has emerged as one of the best children’s hospital
in the country. The hospital has a highly motivated team of highly qualified
and experienced consultants, dynamic team of residents and fellows, well
trained nurses and paramedical personnel. 💢💢
