Thane, Jul 12 (PTI) A one-month-old premature baby weighing just 1.196 kg has undergone a surgical procedure to remove its “natal teeth” at the civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Maharashtra’s Thane city, officials said on Sunday.
The surgery was performed on July 10, eliminating severe health risks to the infant, said an statement released by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).
“Although surgeries of this nature have been performed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in the past, this particular procedure stands out as it was successfully executed on a baby with the lowest recorded birth weight at our facility,” it said, quoting Dean Dr Swapnali Kadam.
The baby was born prematurely and was found to have teeth present at birth, a medical phenomenon known as “natal teeth”. According to medical experts, this condition occurs in only about one in every 2,000 to 3,500 live births, with nearly 85 per cent of cases involving the lower central incisors.
The hospital, located in the Kalwa area of the city, decided to intervene surgically as the natal teeth were extremely loose, posing multiple hazards, the statement said.
It explained that the teeth threatened to obstruct breastfeeding, carried a high risk of being dislodged and swallowed into the respiratory tract (aspiration), and could cause severe tongue ulceration, medically known as “Riga-Fede” ulcer.
The procedure was carried out under the coordination of honorary paediatric dentist Dr Shreya Bapat, alongside Dr Pallavi Khale (Professor and Head of the Dental Department), Dr. Dhairyasheel Edke, and Dr Divya Mokashi, it added. PTI COR NR
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