Mumbai: After spending more than four months in civic-run KEM Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), one of the lightest prematurely born babies, a girl child, went home on Saturday afternoon.“From just 600gm to going home strong, she is a true fighter,” said KEM Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Ravat. While NICU interventions cost lakhs of rupees, the child was treated for free.Her 35-year-old mother got into premature labour in the 25th week of her pregnancy, and the girl child was born late last year in KEM Hospital. “The child had several complications, including respiratory distress that needed her to stay on ventilator support for four months,” said NICU head Dr Anitha Haribalakrishna. The child also suffered spontaneous intestinal perforations that had to be surgically fixed, as well as sepsis.India records the highest number of preterm births in the world, accounting for 20% of such births globally every year. It is estimated that 32 lakh premature babies are born in India every year.“In the NICUs of private hospitals, one hears about 400gm babies going home, but this is a proud moment for a public hospital,” said a doctor associated with the child’s care. Last year, a city hospital had treated a 350gm baby born at 24 weeks of pregnancy.Dr Haribalakrishna said that the girl child has recovered well. “She is now 3.5kg and is on breast feeds. Her scans are all normal too,” she added.Meanwhile, KEM Hospital, which has a 45-bedded ICU, will add another 20-bedded NICU right next to the labour ward. “This will make transfer of premature babies to the new NICU very easy,” said Dr Ravat, adding that the inauguration will take place soon.The hospital’s NICU team handled a 550gm baby, who was born prematurely at 25 weeks of pregnancy, during the Covid pandemic. A premature birth means a baby is born before the 37th week of pregnancy (total 40 weeks).
