Baby born at 27 weeks manages to survive without ventilator support

A baby, who was born prematurely at 27 weeks and weighed only 510 grams at birth, was discharged on Friday after three months of special care at a private hospital in the city.

The baby, a boy, was one of twins. The second baby, a girl, did not face any complications and was not kept under special care. Doctors said that the boy could possibly be the smallest baby born in the city so far. Normally, newborns weigh around 2.5 to 3.5 kg, and the normal period of gestation is 37 weeks.

“Being born early means a baby has less time in the mother’s uterus to grow and gain weight. Low birth weight means low oxygen levels at birth, difficulty feeding, risk of catching infections and gastrointestinal problems,” said Dr Megha Consul, consultant of paediatrics at Max Hospital, Gurugram.

In this case, at 22 weeks, the mother’s amniotic sac, which holds the water surrounding the baby in the womb, burst. “We had to keep the mother in close observation. However, the baby’s blood supply was compromised. We were certain that the baby would not survive,” said Consul. The baby was provided womb-like conditions such as right temperature and humidity after birth, said doctors, adding that constant monitoring of the vital organs was done. However, according to experts, what is remarkable is that the baby survived without any ventilator support. It only received non-invasive respiratory support.

The mother of the baby, however, said she couldn’t stand or sit for weeks before the delivery. “I was asked to only lie down straight. But I was sure I wanted my baby,” she said, adding that she was able to get pregnant after 16 years of trying and failing.

First Published:
May 28, 2019 02:23 IST

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