Gurugram: A baby girl who was born at just 27 weeks of gestation, intead of a full-term pregnancy has overcome a series of life-threatening complications to return home after nearly two months in intensive neonatal care, hospital officials said on Saturday.
Nikki, who was born weighing 900 grams at a gurugram based private hospital, was discharged in a stable condition after a challenging NICU journey that tested her respiratory, circulatory and overall health, they said.
Soon after birth, Nikki developed severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) due to lung immaturity and surfactant deficiency. A chest X-ray showed extensive lung involvement, following which she was immediately placed on mechanical ventilation and given surfactant replacement therapy, spokesperson of Gurugram’s Paras Health said.
According to the hospital, as her respiratory condition was being stabilised, she developed early-onset sepsis, which progressed to severe shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
She subsequently required inotropes to support her blood pressure, antibiotics guided by blood culture and sensitivity reports, and transfusions of fresh frozen plasma, packed red blood cells and platelets. Her condition was further complicated by episodes of pulmonary haemorrhage during the DIC phase, they said.
Speaking during a press conference here, Dr Amitava Sengupta of Paras Health said, “Extremely preterm babies can develop complications across multiple organ systems because their organs are still immature. In Baby Nikki’s case, we had to manage severe respiratory distress, infection, circulatory instability, coagulation abnormalities and pulmonary haemorrhage while continuing to support her growth and development.”
He further said, their focus throughout was not only to help her survive the critical phase, but also to protect her developing brain and work towards a good long-term neurological and functional outcome.
She was transitioned to a dedicated human milk-based diet with fortifiers and vitamins. After approximately eight weeks of intensive neonatal care, Nikki met the clinical milestones required for discharge.
She was taking oral feeds, maintaining her temperature without external support and demonstrated adequate weight gain, Sengupta said.
He added that as part of this developmental care approach, Octopus Therapy was also used during Nikki’s NICU stay. A soft, yarn-made octopus was kept close to her in the incubator after being placed near her mother so that it carried her familiar scent.
The tentacles provided something for Nikki to hold, offering a familiar sensory experience and comfort while she remained in intensive care.
Nikki’s family said, “The NICU journey was filled with uncertainty, but the care and attention she received gave us strength through those difficult weeks. Every small improvement, from her becoming more active to gradually gaining weight, felt like a major milestone for us. Bringing her home after nearly two months was an overwhelming moment for our family.” PTI COR
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