Triumph Of Preterm Neonatal Care

This is the journey of a preterm male neonate born at 26 weeks of gestational age due to premature rupture of membrane of mother and weighing 785 grams. He was admitted in NICU just after birth and managed for 12 weeks under the care of Dr. Swapnali Sanjay Bangartale (Consultant Paediatric and Neonatology) and team. The baby presented with severe respiratory distress syndrome at birth requiring early surfactant therapy (Treatment where artificial pulmonary surfactant is administered to newborns primarily those with Respiratory Distress Syndrome), followed by prolonged respiratory support including mechanical ventilation, CPAP, and oxygen supplementation. As the course progressed, radiological features of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) (A chronic lung disease primarily affecting premature infants) became evident. These were managed with careful weaning, Budesonide nebulisation, and regular clinical assessment.

During the NICU stay, the infant developed Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) (Intestinal disease affecting premature and low birth weight infants) and culture-positive sepsis (Acinetobacter species). Gut rest, gradual reintroduction of feeds, and meticulous infection control were critical parts of management. Baby also developed Anaemia which needed Red Blood Cell (RBC) transfusions followed by Erythropoietin injections. Nutritional rehabilitation followed by progressive weight gain, feeds were advanced to full volumes by 2-hourly schedules. The baby was discharged at a weight of 1590 grams with corrected gestation age of 37 weeks.

This success was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the NICU team, including Resident doctors for round the clock care and critical decision making, nurturing presence of the nurses along with support services for timely diagnostics and monitoring. Finally, the parents for their cooperation and their faith which affirms our commitment in giving the most premature babies a fighting chance for a hopeful future.