Caring for premature babies given low priority, say doctors

Sun, Apr 20 01:00 AM

One out of every 10 babies born in India needs to spend at least a few days in a Neonatal Unit to recover from infection. While survival is always the main concern, proper monitoring of the baby thereafter is always a low priority.

Though 50 per cent of babies who are born premature develop complications later, these are not recognised and such services are not even present in most places in India, including the Capital. Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals organised a two-day CME (Continuous Medical Education), The NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) survivor - Early identification and intervention, on Saturday.

The CME discussed the need for developing appropriate management protocols for the neurodevelopment follow-up of babies discharged from the NICU. "The survival of a premature baby is important but it is not the end of it. After the baby is discharged from NICU, it is also very important to recognise any handicap and deal with it as soon as possible," said Dr.

Vidya Gupta, Neonatologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. "Though this is given low priority, intervention at these stage is very much required," she said.

"We want to sensitise people and create awareness about child development services," said Dr. Nipun Kashyap, Developmental Paediatric, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

"There are a handful of such services in India. Though we need these services as soon as possible, there are many who don't even know about this requirement," she added.

Kashyap said neonatal infections that aren't treated promptly or that spread can have serious consequences. As babies' bodies and organs undergo rapid development, any interruption in that process can lead to complications, including growth, developmental, neurological, cardiac, respiratory, and sensory problems.

"There can be many complications, the problems can occur later when the baby grows, especially those who are in high risk category," she said. "Regular follow-up after they are discharged is required," Gupta said.

"It is a team effort in which the baby requires checkups by paediatricians, eye specialists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and others," she said. With their fragile new immune systems, babies aren't well equipped to deal with infection.

Premature babies are at an even greater risk of developing a critical disease from a bacterium or virus that might cause a simple illness in an older child. An early diagnosis, swift treatment, and close monitoring and care give a baby the best chance of overcoming the infection.

This CME also brought together a faculty drawn from KEM Hospital Pune, PGIMER Chandigarh and all leading hospitals of Delhi, who are actively working in the field of Developmental Pediatrics, Child Neurology and Neonatology.

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