Mumbai: Premature babies tend to have a higher mortality rate at birth compared to babies carried to full term. Recently, doctors at the SRV Hospital in Chembur successfully delivered a premature baby girl.
Priti Topale gave birth to a baby in just seven months of her pregnancy due to a condition known as oligohydramnios, characterised by low amniotic fluid in the womb.
The weight of the baby at birth was only 1.3 kg which has now increased to 1.7 kg after one month of treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Both the mother and baby are healthy and have been discharged.
The rate of premature birth in India is very high and a major public health challenge. Premature births can occur due to younger maternal age, previous premature deliveries, multiple (twins, triplets) deliveries, hypertensive disorders, chronic diabetes, malnutrition, genetic predisposition or excessive use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
However, more often than not, the cause is unknown.
SRV Hospital obstetrician and gynecologist Dr Ameya Kanakiya said, Priti was brought to the hospital when she was 29-week pregnant. She was admitted after being diagnosed with oligohydramnios.
“A cesarean delivery was immediately performed for the baby's safety as water in the womb continued to decrease. The weight of the preterm baby was only 1.3 kg at 29 weeks and she was moved to the NICU for treatment. A fetus is fully developed at 38-40 weeks, so a delivery at the 29th week meant that the baby had to be carefully monitored and treated to ensure survival,” he said.
Explaining the critical condition, hospital neonatologist and pediatrician Dr Rohit Kamble said low amniotic fluid is a condition in which a pregnant woman has too little fluid, which may cause many health issues for the baby.
At 29 weeks, the condition of the premature baby was alarming as her lungs were not fully developed, and breathing would be a challenge.
“The baby was kept on oxygen for five days and after 15 days of delivery the baby’s condition seemed to deteriorate due to stage 1 necrotizing enterocolitis, an intestinal problem, among other medical complications. With proper antibiotics, we were able to treat and stabilise the baby. Her condition slowly improved and by the end of a month she weighed a normal 1.7 kg,” he said.
