Mumbai, March 19: A five-day-old baby from Maharashtra’s Beed district, born with a life-threatening heart defect, was saved after undergoing a specialised cardiac procedure at a Mumbai hospital following a 12-hour ambulance journey.
Critical condition detected at birth
The hospital shared details of the case months later after confirming that the baby had responded well to treatment and is now growing normally.
The infant was delivered via an emergency caesarean section at a government hospital in Beed. Soon after birth, doctors noticed a bluish discolouration of his skin — a sign of dangerously low oxygen levels. Tests showed his oxygen saturation had dropped to around 65 per cent, far below the normal level of above 95 per cent.
Emergency transfer to Mumbai
Suspecting a serious congenital heart defect, a local paediatrician contacted specialists at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital in Mumbai, who advised immediate transfer for advanced care. The newborn was given medication to keep open a temporary blood vessel essential for carrying blood to the lungs.
He was then transported in a ventilator-equipped ambulance, reaching Mumbai in critical condition after a 12-hour journey.
Diagnosis and stabilisation
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed a rare defect in which the normal pathway that carries blood from the heart to the lungs had not developed properly. As a result, the baby depended on a temporary vessel that typically closes within days of birth, risking a sudden drop in oxygen levels.
On arrival, doctors also detected a serious infection, requiring the team to first stabilise the infant with medicines and antibiotics before proceeding with intervention.
Life-saving procedure performed
Once stable, doctors performed a procedure on December 1 to place a stent in the temporary vessel, keeping it open and ensuring adequate blood flow to the lungs. The hour-long procedure was carried out with the baby on ventilator support.
“The baby’s oxygen levels improved immediately from around 65 per cent to nearly 90 per cent,” said Dr Supratim Sen, Senior Consultant in Paediatric Cardiology.
The infant was taken off ventilator support three days later and discharged within a week in stable condition.
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Further treatment planned
Doctors said the procedure was life-saving but temporary, and a corrective open-heart surgery is planned when the child is six to eight months old. The treatment, costing about Rs 3 lakh, was supported through government healthcare schemes and charitable assistance.
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