Saving the life of a premature baby girl weighing 800 grams because her mother had a rare HELLP syndrome

After nearly 1 month of treatment, the baby's health has improved. Photo: Hoang Yen

In early June 2018, pregnant woman Le Thi Mai (32 years old, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh) was more than 6 months pregnant with her second child when she started to experience increasing swelling and fatigue.

Her family took her to a hospital in Nghe An and was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome - a very dangerous complication of pregnancy that requires emergency support from a multidisciplinary system.

Through examination, doctors discovered that the pregnant woman was at risk of multiple organ damage, endangering the lives of both mother and fetus. Paraclinical tests showed that the patient had a blood clotting disorder with complications of severe preeclampsia, which had developed into HELLP syndrome and severe fetal malnutrition.

Here, the hospital doctors decided to perform an emergency cesarean section to save the mother and child. The 800 gram baby girl was resuscitated by the doctors of the Neonatal Department in the operating room and transferred to the department for continued close monitoring.

The baby now weighs 1.1kg and can breastfeed on his own. Photo: Hoang Yen

Doctor Anh Thai, who directly treated the mother, said: Because the baby was born to a mother with a medical condition, immediately after birth, the baby suffered from respiratory failure and weak newborn reflexes. Immediately, the doctors transferred the baby to the neonatal room and prescribed respiratory support and intensive emergency resuscitation treatment. The department assigned medical staff to closely monitor the baby's progress to promptly handle the situation.

After nearly a month of intensive treatment, the baby has gradually stabilized, breathing completely on his own, pink lips, quick newborn reflexes, and can breastfeed. To date, the baby has gained 1.1 kg in weight.

Meanwhile, pregnant woman Le Thi Mai was also treated for multiple organ failure at the Department of Surgical and Nephrology Intensive Care. With the efforts and positive and timely treatment of doctors, pregnant woman Mai overcame the critical stage and recovered her health./.

HELLP syndrome (hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) is a dangerous obstetric complication of preeclampsia, which often occurs in the late stages of pregnancy. The disease progresses rapidly and severely, threatening the lives of both the mother and the fetus if not treated promptly.

In cases where a pregnant woman has HELLP syndrome, she needs to give birth as soon as possible, even if the fetus is not yet full term. Early delivery is necessary to save the lives of both mother and child.