68-day journey to bring 900-gram premature baby 'to the finish line'

Lang Son General Hospital said that recently, the hospital's Pediatrics Department successfully treated an extremely premature newborn baby, who weighed only 900 grams at birth and 2.6 kg when discharged from the hospital.

Accordingly, baby HM A was born at only 27 weeks of gestation, weighing only 900 grams (one-third of the weight of a full-term baby). The baby’s mother was pregnant for the first time and did not have much experience in taking care of a baby.

"Because they were born too early, the baby was very weak and immature at birth. The organs were not fully developed and could not perform their original functions. The baby showed the following symptoms: Hypothermia due to heat loss through the skin, the lungs could not perform their respiratory function, and the mother's milk was not digested.

Lạng Sơn: Hành trình 68 ngày đưa cháu bé sinh non 900 gram 'về vạch đích'- Ảnh 1. — Baby HM A was born at only 27 weeks gestation, weighing only 900 grams.

Immediately, the baby was put on a ventilator to support his breathing and received special care. Most premature babies face many risks of infection, respiratory, circulatory, digestive problems, etc.," said Dr. Le Quang Phuong, head of the Pediatrics Department.

This person added that the doctors have made great efforts to treat and care for the child with optimal methods: mechanical ventilation to support breathing, complete and partial parenteral nutrition, antibiotics to fight infection, treatment of blood clotting disorders, emergency blood transfusion, and alkali compensation to resolve metabolic acidosis. After 2 months of treatment, the child's health has progressed positively, he has been weaned off the ventilator and can breastfeed completely.

Lạng Sơn: Hành trình 68 ngày đưa cháu bé sinh non 900 gram 'về vạch đích'- Ảnh 2. — After 68 days of treatment, baby A's health has improved day by day. The baby gained 2.6kg, can breathe and breastfeed well on his own and was discharged from the hospital.

During the treatment, the baby is applied the Kangaroo method, skin-to-skin contact on the mother's chest. This method helps control the baby's body temperature, maintaining it at a stable 37 degrees Celsius thanks to the mother's temperature. Thanks to this, the baby avoids hypothermia, helps regulate breathing and cardiovascular system, supports brain development, and avoids neonatal infections that cause serious consequences.

After 68 days of treatment, baby A's health has improved day by day. Her eye and heart functions are stable. She gained 2.6 kg, can breathe and breastfeed well on her own and was discharged from the hospital.

According to Lang Son General Hospital, this is just one of many premature babies that have been successfully treated at the Pediatrics Department. In 2023, the Pediatrics Department successfully treated more than 600 newborns, the smallest of which weighed 900 grams.