Bhubaneswar, Feb. 28: Doctors at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital-1 here have successfully turned around the condition of a pre-term baby suffering from Duodenal Atresia meaning a part of the duodenum was blocked with Down Syndrome.
Born at Balasore to a G2P1 mother (meaning a woman who has been pregnant twice and has carried one pregnancy to a viable gestational age) and weighing 1100 grams, the baby was received in the hospital on the 15thday after birth in a critical condition.
The baby, delivered in the 7th month of pregnancy, was earlier treated at two other hospitals where doctors treated it with IV fluids and antibiotics without any significant improvement in the condition.
After evaluating the baby’s condition at IMS and SUM Hospital-1, doctors weighed their options including surgery. Babies of such low weight and with such associated problems usually do not survive even after successful surgery.
The team of doctors, however, decided to go ahead with the needed surgery which was led by pediatric surgeon Dr. Antaryami Pradhan. Post operation, the baby was managed at the Neonatal ICU (NICU) by a team of doctors led by Dr. Debasish Nanda, Dr. Ratan Das, Dr. Bhabagrahi Mallick, Dr. Bijaya Kumar and other members of the team.
The doctors explained that an exploratory laparotomy was done on the 19-day-old baby and it was put on parental nutrition for 23 days. Gradually enteral feeding commenced and IV fluids were stopped on the 42ndday of the baby’s birth. The baby’s condition gradually improved as it accepted feed through spoon and was discharged from the hospital five days later while weighing 1700 gram.
Hospital sources said this was the lowest weight baby to be treated in the institute who survived after surgery despite having such complex problems.
All doctors and nurses in the NICU were involved in the round-the-clock management of the baby. The parents of the baby had expressed their happiness and deep gratitude to the hospital’s NICU team, pediatric surgery team, Dean of the Institute Prof. (Dr.) Sanghamitra Mishra and Medical Superintendent Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinghar.
