Tien Giang General Hospital Successfully Treats an Extremely Preterm Infant Weighing 1 Kilogram
(DTO) Tien Giang General Hospital has successfully treated an extremely preterm newborn who was born at 27 weeks of gestation with a birth weight of only 1 kilogram.
According to information from Tien Giang General Hospital, on November 6, the hospital received a one-day-old baby girl transferred from Tien Giang Maternity Hospital in a critical condition of extreme prematurity, accompanied by severe respiratory distress syndrome and serious respiratory failure.
Sharing details about the treatment process, Spec. II Dr. Ngo Trong Khanh, Deputy Head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Tien Giang General Hospital, said: “Immediately after admission, the infant was promptly administered surfactant and provided with invasive mechanical ventilation to sustain life. The duration of mechanical ventilation lasted up to 17 days, during which the infant was closely monitored and respiratory support was adjusted hourly and daily according to clinical progression. Throughout the treatment, comprehensive resuscitation and intensive care measures were applied, including strict temperature control, infection prevention, and step-by-step nutritional support. The infant was prioritized for breast milk feeding and, once stable, received skin-to-skin care, which contributed significantly to improved health and growth.”
It is known that the baby girl is the 4th child of Ms. N.T.M.T., Residing in Xom Dinh residential area, Long Thuan Ward. The mother works as a factory worker, while the father is a construction laborer. During treatment at Tien Giang General Hospital, in addition to the dedicated efforts of medical staff and the strong support of the family, the infant also received timely spiritual and financial assistance from benefactors through the hospital’s Social Work Department. After 42 days of intensive treatment, the infant’s vital functions stabilized, including independent breathing, effective feeding, and steady weight gain, meeting the conditions for discharge.
According to Dr. Do Quang Thanh (PhD), Deputy Director of Tien Giang General Hospital, newborns born extremely preterm at 27 weeks of gestation and weighing 1 kilogram belong to a group with a very high risk of mortality and severe complications. At this gestational age, infants face numerous risks such as immature lungs, a high likelihood of respiratory distress syndrome, severe respiratory failure, and serious complications including intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, unstable body temperature, systemic infections, and neurological impairment. Therefore, the care and nutrition of extremely preterm infants are highly complex. This was a critically ill case with a poor initial prognosis, but timely and comprehensive intervention demonstrated the high level of professional expertise of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit team, who have mastered advanced neonatal resuscitation techniques. The successful treatment of this extremely preterm infant weighing 1,000 grams affirms the hospital’s medical quality and the effectiveness of multidisciplinary coordination in caring for premature newborns at Tien Giang General Hospital, Dr. Thanh emphasized.
Spec. II, Dr. Vo Loan Anh
Translated by X.QUANG
