Nagpur: Doctors at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the paediatrics department at Govt Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, saved the life of an extremely premature baby born at just 26 weeks and weighing barely 700 grams. After nearly 100 days of complex, round-the-clock care, the infant reached 1.88kg and was discharged in a stable condition.NICU in-charge Dr Ashish Lothe said the newborn developed severe respiratory distress syndrome soon after birth and was given emergency surfactant therapy. The baby spent 11 days on ventilator support and a further 10 days on CPAP to stabilise breathing.The course of treatment was equally challenging. The infant developed septicaemia and required 21 days of antibiotics. Later, the baby suffered Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC), a serious intestinal condition. Assistant Professor Dr Sandeep Manvatkar said feeds were stopped and cautiously restarted through orogastric feeding.The newborn also showed signs of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a vision-threatening condition common in extremely premature infants. Timely Anti-VEGF therapy helped prevent damage to the eyes.Head of paediatric department, Dr Manish Tiwari, said the team also treated congenital heart-related complications, with steady recovery ensured through continuous monitoring and coordinated care.Resident doctors Dr Maria Sheikh, Dr Shubhangi Nima, Dr Mugdha Bhivgade, Dr Mithila, Dr Lavanya and Dr Mahesh, and nursing staff Aarti Atram, Surekha, Taksha, Nilima, Trupti, Jayashree, Sneha and Preeti played a crucial role throughout the baby’s stay.Guided by dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye and medical superintendent Dr Avinash Gawande, GMC Nagpur continues to offer advanced care to extremely premature newborns. The child’s remarkable journey — from 700g at birth to nearly 2kg — stands as a testament to the strength of public healthcare and the dedication of its doctors and nurses.
