Law

The first spring of the tiny baby, born weighing only 550 grams.

Khanh Ly • January 29, 2025 07:45

Born prematurely at 24 weeks, weighing only 550 grams, no one thought the little girl, affectionately nicknamed "Hến," could survive. However, the marvels of modern medicine and the timely, coordinated care of doctors and nurses created a "miracle," allowing the tiny baby to overcome those difficult days and smile as she welcomed her first spring into her life.

Three months of "fighting" for life.

In early spring, visiting the family of a tiny baby in a house nestled deep in a small alley on Tran Hung Dao Street (Quang Trung Ward, Vinh City), we were surprised by the adorable and charming baby sleeping soundly in her cradle.

Speaking with us, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (born in 1981) - the mother of baby "Hen" - couldn't hide her emotion: "My child has only been home from the hospital for over 20 days, it's like a miracle! Because I'm older, and when I was admitted to the hospital, there were signs of premature labor when the baby was only a few weeks old, everyone at home had already anticipated and prepared for the worst-case scenario, and the doctor said there was a 99% chance it would be difficult to save the baby."

With her eyes never leaving her youngest daughter, who was sound asleep, the mother of four shared, "Before giving birth to Hến, my husband and I already had three children: the eldest in 11th grade, the middle one in 8th grade, and a baby who was only 15 months old. During the pregnancy with the fourth child, I was completely unaware because I didn't experience any morning sickness like in previous pregnancies."

When I started feeling unwell, I went for an ultrasound at a private clinic and found out I was 23 weeks pregnant. I went to the hospital for another check-up, and the doctor said I had a ruptured membranes and needed to be hospitalized urgently. When I arrived at the Obstetrics Department (Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital), my cervix was dilated 4 centimeters but my water hadn't broken yet. I had excruciating abdominal pain for several days.

At 2:00 AM on September 27, 2024, the amniotic sac ruptured, and the baby was in a breech position, with one leg protruding. The doctors on duty in the delivery room immediately assisted in delivering the baby, intubated the infant, and quickly transferred the baby to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“My baby was born at 24 weeks, tiny and small enough to fit in my arms, weighing only 550 grams. The doctors said they had never seen a case of such a low-birth-weight baby born so early in life and expressed their willingness to do everything they could to save her, but they couldn't promise anything. They said there was hope if she survived the first 10 days. So my husband and I sat and counted the days, and as 10, 15, and 20 days passed… each milestone brought more hope.”

The first week after my baby was born was the most nerve-wracking. I was so worried I couldn't sleep. Every day I was allowed 15 minutes to go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to see my child, but I could only look through the glass enclosure. Every time I walked there, tears welled up in my eyes, and I silently prayed for a miracle.

"Every time I see the doctor's call, I jump, feel anxious, and restless when the doctor tells me that my child has a heart attack or shows any abnormal signs…," Ms. Hoa shared.

After three months in an incubator, breathing with the help of a ventilator and oxygen, and receiving dedicated care from doctors and nurses, the tiny daughter of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa and Mr. Nguyen Huu Binh was able to breathe on her own and leave the intensive care unit to have skin-to-skin contact with her mother.

Holding her newborn baby in her arms for the first time, Hoa couldn't hold back her tears. She had given birth three times before, but never had she felt such special emotions; everything felt like a dream…

The family of Ms. Hoa and Mr. Binh was overjoyed when the doctor announced that after monitoring the baby's health, it had stabilized and they could go home.

Because the wards were recently merged, the family only went to get the birth certificate and name the baby after the Lunar New Year. However, everyone in the family agreed to call the baby by the affectionate nickname "Hến," hoping that the tiny baby would always be well-behaved and healthy.

"Thankfully, since coming home, the baby has been eating and sleeping well, crying less, and her health is stable…," Ms. Hoa said. The happiness and maternal love in her eyes as she looked at her child made us feel happy too.

The people who create "miracles"

The remarkable recovery of baby Hến's life was the result of months of silent struggle, countless efforts, patience, and perseverance from the doctors and nurses at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital).

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: This is the case of the smallest premature baby ever saved at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. The baby was born weighing only 550 grams in a state of severe respiratory distress, unable to breathe, and required intubation. During labor, the Obstetrics Department requested assistance from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Upon receiving a premature baby born at 24 weeks, with underdeveloped body parts and numerous potential risks such as asphyxiation, respiratory failure, cerebral and pulmonary hemorrhage, intestinal necrosis, infection, metabolic disorders, hemolytic jaundice, etc., the doctors determined that the situation was very difficult and the prognosis was poor. However, "as long as there is life, there is hope," the doctors were determined to apply multiple coordinated measures simultaneously to save the baby.

“Due to extreme prematurity and low birth weight, the infant's condition was extremely complex and consistently critical. The baby was placed in an incubator, received ventilatory support, had a longline (single-lumen central venous catheter) inserted, had an umbilical vein feeding line established, and was maintained on vasopressors. The baby also received combined treatment for jaundice and retinopathy of prematurity. Regular blood tests and X-rays were also performed to screen for other conditions.”

Furthermore, for premature and extremely low-weight infants, the treatment regimen is carefully calculated, including fluid intake, energy intake, and milk quantity each day depending on their weight. The baby's weight is monitored twice a week to allow for timely adjustments and ensure healthy weight gain during treatment. Strict adherence to sterile care and hygiene protocols throughout the hospital stay is also enforced.

"The baby was on a ventilator from September 27th to December 8th, 2024, then switched to oxygen therapy. Skin-to-skin contact with the mother was only allowed after the child could breathe and feed on their own," said Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen.

Because the baby was in the intensive care unit for three months, almost all the doctors and nurses in the department cared for her and went through anxious moments as her health developed, all fighting to save her life. Among them, the first person to arrive at the Obstetrics Department to coordinate emergency care for the baby at the moment of birth was Dr. Ho Thao Ngoc; while the doctor who treated the baby for the longest time was the young doctor Nguyen Thi Tu Anh (born in 1996).

Dr. Tu Anh said that after graduating from Hue University of Medicine, she started working at the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Although she is not yet married, her five years working in the specialized Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have made her familiar with difficult cases. However, caring for and treating a premature, low-weight baby like the child of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa for the first time still made her feel anxious and stressed.

Even with years of experience in neonatology and a proven track record of successfully saving the lives of many premature and low-birth-weight infants, such as Dr. Truong Le Thi, Head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, this was still considered a particularly challenging case.

However, a miracle happened, and the efforts paid off. After 100 days of treatment, the baby's health continuously improved each day. On January 6, 2025, joy came to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa's family when they received the news that the baby's condition had stabilized and she could be discharged from the hospital and go home.

Under the care of doctors and nurses, the premature baby, who weighed only 500 grams at birth, has now reached a weight of 2.1 kg and is in stable health. According to doctors at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the baby's weight upon discharge is nearly equivalent to the adjusted gestational age and comparable to a baby nurtured in the mother's womb.

This is an important stepping stone to help the child develop normally like their peers. Before discharge, the child undergoes a full hearing screening, retinal disease screening, and is scheduled for follow-up appointments.

Saving the life of the most premature and underweight baby ever recorded at the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital brought immense happiness and pride to the doctors and nurses. At the same time, Instilling hope in mothers facing difficult births, don't despair or give up; instead, be determined to work with doctors and nurses to find a chance for your baby to survive.

For the family of the little girl affectionately nicknamed "Hến," "this year is the happiest Tet holiday for our whole family. Thank you to the doctors and nurses who created a miracle, giving my child the chance to celebrate her first spring in her life and many more springs filled with love...", shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Hến's mother.

In a heartwarming story at the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the 81-year-old grandfather of the tiny girl happily suggested that journalists help name the baby to commemorate the occasion, wishing her a happy and peaceful life…