Patras: 23-week premature baby survives

A premature newborn weighing only 600 grams, born almost 6 months pregnant, managed to emerge victorious after 5 months in the incubator of a hospital in Patras.

Tuesday was a day of joy for the neonatal medical and nursing department of the pediatric clinic of the University Hospital of Patras, as the smallest newborn it cared for was finally delivered healthy into the arms of its parents.

Gabriel Dimitriu, professor, director of the hospital’s pediatric clinic, spoke on the MEGA Society Hour program about the care provided by medical and nursing staff to the tiny baby. The boy, the third child in a family from Kato Achaia, was born prematurely on June 30, at just 23 weeks of pregnancy.

The doctors and nursing staff of the neonatal department, under the leadership of Mr. Dimitriou, took all necessary actions to save his life. During the 159 days he was in hospital, he had to be transferred to Athens for treatment of an eye problem and to Karamandanio for surgery.

Gavriel Dimitriou emphasized the need to strengthen neonatal units with specialized staff. “The child stayed in the incubator for 159 days, this is not exactly a miracle, such things happen in departments,” says the professor. “And it’s not only these children, there are others who have problems and who live in departments, and we are happy when someone is being discharged from the hospital.”

“The little boy was born at approximately 6 months (23 weeks). He had other problems that he managed to overcome, continues Mr. Dimitriou. – He is in good health. There are about 280 children weighing up to 1000 grams throughout Greece, there are not that many of them.”

“The child was born weighing about 600 grams. The viability of newborns born before 22 weeks is reduced. After this, his bones develop normally. It is very difficult for parents to leave their child in the hospital to be “terminated” in a special chamber,” added Mr. Dimitriou.

Source link