India’s smallest birth weight baby saved at DMCH

Ludhiana, January 1, 2014: Neonatology team at DMCH Ludhiana embarks the beginning of 2014 as they bid a warm farewell to Naina, India’s smallest baby ever survived and her twin sister Ishana.
The first time Bhavna (Mother) laid eyes on her tiny premature 480 grams daughter Naina, she was stunned by her size. She just weighed less than a loaf of bread and would easily fit in her father’s hand, had she not been kept wired with machines around her in the Neonatal ICU. Everybody thought that she would not survive, but this tiny fighter fought all the odds and is now ready to go home to celebrate the New Year with her twin sister Ishana and her parents, who are overwhelmed and so grateful to DMCH staff. Naina is believed to be the smallest baby ever born and survived in India.
Born out of an IVF twin pregnancy to a couple married for eight years, these twin girls were very precious and the only hope for the family. Bhavna first stepped into DMCH at 22 weeks of gestation with constant pains and aches. Her pregnancy was carried upto 27 weeks (Six and a half months) when the ultrasonography revealed reversal of flow. “Because the blood flow to the babies was decreasing, she was taken up for caesarean section”, told Dr Ashima Taneja, Professor, Department of Obstretics and Gynaecology, DMCH, Ludhiana. Neonatologist Dr Kamal Arora (Neonatologist), who was following Bhavna perinatally was called in to attend the delivery. “Specialized baby care starting from the time of birth is extremely important and is the main determinant of survival in these tiny babies”, she added.
Initial days were difficult as her birth weight dropped down to 420 grams. “To salvage baby of this size was challenging”, said Dr Kamal Arora, DM Neonatologist, DMCH. “There is no reported survival of a baby weighing this small in India. Last reported smallest survival was a baby weighing 495 grams, somewhere in Western India”, added Dr Arora. The baby was handled and looked after in the Neonatal ICU with precise care. She was struggling to breathe, so was immediately put on advanced respiratory support, the bubble CPAP system. The babies that young have only 20% chance of survival and only 5% survive without brain damage. He calls her a ‘Miracle’. “Her brain had no structural damage, she didn’t need oxygen for long and her eyes did not develop any retinopathy of prematurity (an eye disease of premature babies).”
Dr Harmesh Singh Bains (Prof & Head of Pediatics) said that DMCH has the state of art Neonatal ICU with best medical technology as well infrastructure where medical expertise and advanced technology go hand in hand to provide the best facilities for the mother and child. “Babies born this small have extremely poor function of all body organs and all of them need support for survival of the child. Here comes the expertise and skill of a dedicated neonatologist to identify and prevent the problems, as margin of error in these tiny babies is close to none”, said Dr Daljit Singh, Principal DMCH. “NICU nurses are extremely competent and trained to take care of these small babies. They take care of these babies like their foster mothers till the baby goes home”, added Dr Daljit Singh.
“It is the expertise of our neonatologist and his NICU team, which has given this phenomenal result and that DMCH is now routinely having a more than 90-95% survival of very low birth babies”, said Mr Prem Kumar Gupta, Secretary DMCH Managing Society. “I am glad that our dream of making DMCH as a one point destination for all women and child problems under one roof has turned into a reality. We have invested the best infrastructure, the best equipment and the best manpower, which is showing the desired results now”, he added.
The parents were so happy and grateful as Mr Prem Kumar Gupta and Mrs Sunila Gupta hands both the babies to the parents as they get discharged from DMCH NICU on the first day of the New Year.// ludhiana news online, ludhiana news in English, ludhiana news, ludhiana current news, ludhiana news live, Ludhiana breaking news, Ludhiana headlines, Ludhiana latest news, punjab news, india news, punjab news live, punjab news online, punjab news, punjab news headlines, punjab breaking news, india news, punjab news,