Kochi General hospital brings 25-week old back to life

Kochi: Ernakulam General Hospital has achieved a rare feat by rescuing a premature baby girl born to a poor couple of Udayamperoor, without the support of even a ventilator and other modern facilities.

The 25-week old baby born in a private hospital with 600 gm weight was brought here as the parents could not afford the treatment at the private hospital.

The weight of the baby had come down to 460 gm when a team led by paediatrician Dr M. S. Noushad took over the care at GH.

The team confronted the baby with premature limbs, high infection possibilities and problems for breathing and feeding. The neonatal ICU trained its attention on the baby who was given the milk collected from the mother and IV fluids. Thus the weight of the child was brought to 750 gm after four more weeks.

“We then resorted to the Kangaroo Mother Care, to feed the baby, and she responded to it positively. However, then the baby faced a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, where the vision of the child dims. A team led by ophthalmologist Dr Sharmila cured the condition through laser treatment. The current weight of the baby who has crossed 36 weeks is 1.2 kg,” said Dr Noushad.

Meanwhile, the GH team had to face another unusual situation when the father who could not withstand the pressure he underwent in this situation, coupled with days spent without sleep, suffered a heart attack. The team also took him to safe shores.

Dr Noushad said that the weight of the child would reach 1.5 kg in a few days, and then the family can leave the hospital.