Oman health: Khoula Hospital helps 23 week-baby to survive

Muscat: A baby born 13 weeks prematurely, weighing 570 grams at birth, has been saved by doctors at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Khoula Hospital.
The baby was born at 23 weeks of gestational age, instead of the normal 36 weeks. However, the girl’s twin, which weighed less than 500 grams, could not be saved by the doctors.
Read also: First-of-its-kind knee replacement surgery at Khoula Hospital
According to Dr. Mohammed Tariq of Khoula Hospital, the baby was born in a critical condition. “She was born in a bad shape. She required machines for the breathing process for quite a long time,” Dr. Mohammed told Times of Oman.
The baby was given a special treatment and kept in the NICU for more than four months. “During the treatment she contacted some infections and had other health issues,” the doctor said.
“Premature birth babies have low immunity and she also required antibiotics to treat infections and underwent oxygen therapy,” he said.
According to the doctor, the baby was kept in NICU until she was able to take normal feeding and started gaining weight like a normal baby.
The baby also suffered from a heart condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which meant that the open hole in her heart was not closed naturally by the third or fourth day after she was born. Consequently, the PDA was treated and closed with the help of medications.
At the time of discharge from the hospital, the baby weighed 2.2 kg and her eyes and hearing examinations were normal.
According to the hospital officials, the baby will be taken to the hospital twice a month to monitor her growth and neurological developments. This will be done until she reaches two years of age.
“This was a major achievement for Khoula Hospital’s Nursing and Medical Team,” Dr Mohammed Tariq noted.
Only 10-40 per cent of babies born at 23 weeks survive. Of those who survive, more than 50 to 60 per cent have short or long-term complications in the form of bleeding in the head, eye problem, fits, breathing problem with oxygen dependency, and feeding problem.
“However the baby was discharged from the hospital without any complications,” Dr Mohammed Tariq said.
According to the baby’s parents, she is doing well at the moment. “She is perfectly all right now. Last week she weighed around 2.7kg and she is taking food as a normal baby,” Dr Fathiya Al Abadi, the mother said.
“We express our deepest gratitude to Khoula Hospital staff especially the NICU department and administration for the high level of care that we received from them,” Abdullah Al Sibani, the father of the baby, said.
“At the moment we are giving her some vitamins and iron medicine,” Al Sibani added.