In an abiding story of hope and resilience, pediatricians at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here battled to successfully save the life of a 26-week premature baby.

The baby, weighing only 860 grams when born, faced severe respiratory challenges immediately after birth and was shifted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Prof (Dr) Debasish Nanda, Head of the neonatal unit, said.

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In the face of extreme challenges, including the need for mechanical ventilation, advanced life support, multiple surfactants, and high-frequency ventilation, the baby also showed resilience and signs of gradual improvement, he said.

The situation had become complicated because of multiple co-morbidities of prematurity, including the need for chest drainage in both lungs, Prof (Dr) Nanda said.

“Though the survival chances were slim, the baby continued to show improvement under the diligent care and support of the medical team. The baby stayed in the NICU for nearly four and half months before being discharged,” he said.

Expressing immense joy, Prof (Dr) Nanda praised the medical team for its relentless effort to save the infant and the parents for their patience and unwavering support. The medical team included Dr Ratan Kumar Das, Dr Vijay Kumar, Dr Bhabagrahi Mallick, Dr Bineet Panigrahi, Dr Debi Prasad Sahoo, Dr Suresh Kumar Tripathy, Dr Payal Pradhan, Dr Bhagyashree Mohapatra, Dr Sitikantha Nayak, Dr Kalpita Sahoo and Dr S. Maneesha.

Prof (Dr) Sanghamitra Mishra, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital and Prof (Dr) Pusparaj Samantasinhar, Medical Superintendent offered their continuous guidance and support to the medical team as it handled the challenging case. The collaborative effort that led to the baby’s recovery was a testament to the combined skill, compassion, and determination of the medical team, he said.