Hyderabad: An inspiring story in the city. A newly born from a Coronavirus infected mother , won his battle against the virus after a 30-day struggle. He has now become the youngest Covid survivor in the country.
The baby was born on April 17, at 28 weeks of pregnancy(premature) at the Yashoda Hospital.He was later admitted to KIMS Cuddles.
He was barely a few days old, when he was put on ventilator for support. The baby was discharged from the hospital on May 17, but the KIMS Cuddles had announced it officially on Sunday. Infant is still under observation, though he is now at home.
Dr C Aparna, a neonatologist at KIMS Cuddles, in an interview said that the mother was already infected by Covid. However, there is no evidence suggesting that the Covid infection to the baby was an intrauterine transmission (mother to the infant) as the baby’s first RTPCR test, done within 24 hours of his birth, was negative.
But, in the next few days, the baby’s oxygen levels started dropping and a repeat RTPCR test concluded that the neonate was Covid positive. So the possibility is that the baby naturally got exposed to the virus and got infected, she said.
The baby was kept in a radiant warm room with full arrangements. He was given appropriate supportive care with mother’s milk, kangaroo care, micronutrient supplementation and thermal support.
The baby had a consistent weight gain of 15-20 grams/day and was transitioned from tube feeds to oral feeding. After 30 days of medical attention in the hospital, the baby was discharged in good health with a weight of 1500 grams on May 17.
Dr C Aparna further added, “Our team at KIMS Cuddles has been working tirelessly for high-risk mothers and high-risk preterm newborns including those affected with COVID to provide world-class services with compassion and human touch,
During this entire treatment phase, the family including the baby’s parents were not by their baby’s side due to Covid19 protocols and were constantly updated about their newborn’s clinical condition using video calls.
Ms Kalinga