Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital saves the life of a newborn with internal organs outside the abdomen

In late June and early July 2021, in a special sterile room of the Department of Surgical Intensive Care, Obstetrics and Pediatrics HospitalNghe An, the newborn baby of mother H. lay nestled between the large machines. The baby's tiny body heaved with each rapid breath, laboring to receive the oxygen supplied by the ventilator.

What is more special is that on the baby's belly there is a very special bag, covering the internal organs that are protruding out, and is being hung high to stretch, increase the expansion and elasticity of the abdominal wall, at the same time allowing the herniated intestine to gradually push itself back in. The room the baby is being treated in is also special: maximum sterilization, no visitors, only the baby and the doctors and nurses treating him. The baby's life is flickering with each weak breath.

The baby is being treated in a special sterile room of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Photo: Hoang Yen

Previously, on June 24, the HospitalObstetrics and PediatricsNghe An received pregnant woman Lo Thi H. to the hospital at 36 weeks pregnant, showing signs of labor, abdominal pain... During the pregnancy check-up, at 27 weeks, Ms. H. and her husband went for a check-up and were diagnosed with abdominal wall defect - one of the major defects in newborns, with a very high mortality rate after birth.

With the determination to "while there is life, there is hope", even though they knew the baby's illness in the womb was "less good, more bad", the family was still determined to monitor and choose a reputable specialized hospital to safely give birth for the mother, as well as provide emergency treatment immediately after birth for the baby.

Immediately upon admission, doctors at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital performed an ultrasound and discovered abnormalities in the fetus, so they organized an urgent consultation with the Obstetrics, Surgery, Surgical Resuscitation, and Anesthesia departments to decide on an emergency cesarean section. The cesarean section was performed immediately after. The mother, Lo Thi H., gave birth prematurely at 36 weeks, weighing 2 kg underweight; the baby's abdominal wall had a defect that allowed the entire intestines to protrude...

If the baby is not operated on and covered with a bag in time, at the latest within a few hours after discovery, the condition of the internal organs being exposed like this will certainly lead to dehydration, infection, and endanger life. In this case, the doctors cannot push the herniated internal organs back into the abdomen and then suture them, because the organs are too large compared to the volume of the abdomen, when returned to the abdomen, it will be like a "leg-binding" phenomenon, causing too much pressure, possibly causing intestinal necrosis, the child will be in danger.

Surgeons put the intestines back into the abdomen. Photo: Hoang Yen

On July 5, 10 days after the first surgery, the child was given intravenous nutrition and special care at the Department of Surgical Resuscitation. Assessing the child's condition better, the doctors performed a second surgery to return the intestines to the abdomen. The abdominal wall was closed, becoming a "shield" to protect the child's internal organs safely, just like the body's original function.

According to Dr. Hoang Van Thang - Department of Intensive Care Surgery, abdominal wall cleft is considered a rare defect. The surgical repair process for this defect requires a doctor with high expertise in pediatric surgery and neonatal resuscitation care. Because children with congenital abdominal wall cleft have a high risk of infection and difficulty in surviving. To perform the surgery successfully, the hospital had a smooth and urgent coordination of the Obstetrics and Pediatrics departments.

Despite having to undergo two surgeries, the baby still gained weight from 2,000g to 2,500g. Photo: Hoang Yen

With in-depth experience in surgery and post-operative resuscitation, along with the harmonious coordination of the Obstetrics and Pediatrics specialties, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital will continue to maximize human resources and modern facilities to bring the best treatment results for pregnant women and newborns in the coming time./.