A set of premature triplets were saved by Hung Vuong Hospital doctors. (Photo courtesy of the hospital) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Advances in treatment athospitals nationwide have helped save more and more premature infants who areat high risk of mortality.
This improvement is in line with the UnitedNations' fourth Millennium Development Goal to reduce child mortality rates.
“Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of deathamong children under 5 years of age, responsible for approximately 1 milliondeaths in 2015. Three-quarters of these deaths could be prevented withcurrent, cost-effective interventions,” the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) said.
Many hospitals in Vietnam have improved theirtreatments for low birth-weight babies.
Hung Vuong Hospital in HCM City, for instance, has been ableto save thousands of premature infants each year. The survival rate ofbabies born between 24 and 37 weeks of pregnancy is now up to 90percent.
The latest premature infants who were saved by thehospital were triplets from the south-central coastal province of Bình Thuậnborn at 26 weeks and five days of pregnancy.
The mother was hospitalised and closelymonitored because she had underlying diseases.
At 26 weeks and five days in the pregnancy, the hospital’sdoctors decided to perform Caesarean surgery. The babies weighed 785grammes, 850 grammes and 860 grammes.
The three babies showed signs of respiratory failure dueto pneumonia and were placed in the neonatal department. They alsosuffered from neonatal infections. Two of them receivedblood transfusions, while one suffered from enteritis.
The hospital’s doctors treated them for over 91 daysand used the Kangaroo Care method in which there is warmskin-to-skin contact with the babies to help maintain their bodytemperature, respiration and digestion.
The doctors also were able to save a maleinfant weighing 800 grammes born after 25 weeks of pregnancy.
"The case from Phu Nhuan district wasvery premature and suffered from severe respiratory failure. Savinghim was rather impressive. It took 124 days to feed and raise himsuccessfully," doctors said.
The hospital successfully saved another maleinfant weighing 700 grammes and another weighing 500 grammes. They werealso premature births.
The 700-gramme infant was diagnosedwith retinopathy of prematurity, which is a potentiallyblinding disease caused by abnormal development of retinal bloodvessels in premature infants. The infant also had respiratoryfailure due to pneumonia.
After birth, the male infant was put in anincubator and on a ventilator for 71 days. For the next 22days, he used continuous positive airway pressure instead ofa ventilator.
The Kangaroo Care method was also used for onemonth. After 123 days of treatment, he was discharged from the hospitalweighing 2,230 grammes.
However, because of premature birth, his parents had tocontinue the Kangaroo Care method and visit the hospital for follow-upexaminations.
Besides taking care of premature infants in incubators andusing continuous positive airway pressure, successful treatment depends on manyfactors.
The infants have to be closely watched and cared forby nurses and doctors, and the mothers’ role in following weeksis also very important.
The Kangaroo Care method is very effective in helping tosave these infants, doctors said.
They are fed breast milk to help prevent infectionsand improve digestion. The infants usually have contact with their mothersto stimulate the development of the brain and nervous system and to reduce themortality rate and chance of disease.
Tu Du Hospital in HCM City and Da Nang Hospital for Women andChildren have set up human milk banks to help premature babies.
Previously, these babies had to use formula milk.
The deputy head of the HCM City’s Department of Health, TangChi Thuong, said the Tu Du Hospital milk bank would help reduce the number ofpremature babies with necrotising enterocolitis disease in which thegastrointestinal tract results in inflammation and bacterial invasion of thebowel wall.
Dr Le Quang Thanh, the hospital director, said: “Among nearly70,000 births at the hospital every year, 6,000 to 7,000 are premature and havehealth problems. They need breast milk to provide nutrients for treatment andrecovery.”
Healthy mothers who have more than enough breast milk canvolunteer to donate their milk to the bank.
The hospital will set up appointments forscreening and testing before the donation. After testing, the breast milkis collected and transported to the bank for pasteurisation and storage.
Donated breast milk at the bank is pasteurised under domesticand international standards.
According to UNICEF, Vietnam has had significantprogress in raising the survival ratio of children under five years oldwithin the last 25 years. The ratio was 52 per 1,000 children in 1990, droppingto 12 per 1,000 children in 2018.
“However, infant mortality rates in the North and CentralHighlands remain high and in some provinces, such as Lai Chau and Kon Tum, therates are three times higher than the national average.
“It is estimated that 47 newborns die every day in Vietnam.Most are from preventable causes. Simple interventions such as skilledbirth attendance, early essential newborn care, early initiation ofbreastfeeding, and kangaroo-mother care for premature and low-weight babies cansave lives of women and their infants," UNICEF said.
The first 28 days of life – the neonatal period – is the mostvulnerable time for a child’s survival. Children face the highest risk of dyingin their first month of life at an average global rate of 18 deaths per 1,000live births in 2018, according to UNICEF./.
VNA
