A baby born 14 weeks prematurely became one of the world’s smallest to survive abdominal surgery. Little Jhanvi weighed just 520g and was no bigger than the palm of a hand when she was operated on at 12 days old.
Doctors were forced to operate on her intestines which were swollen due to infection – causing a slow heartbeat and a drop in blood pressure.
The intestines, blocked and turning black, had to be cut open and drained.
Jhanvi, who was conceived by IVF, remained in neonatal intensive care for 117 days after the risky surgery.
Her chances of survival were less than ten per cent, but she now weighs a healthier 4.7lbs and has returned home.
Jhanvi, from Nizampur in Shivpuri District, India, is the smallest baby to survive major abdominal surgery in South Asia.
Dr Praveen Jhanwar, who carried out the one and half hour operation, said: “She was smaller than my hand when we operated on her.
“The intestines were grossly distended and started turning black.
“Her organs were so delicate and fragile that as soon as we started operating, even with our small instruments, everything started to bleed and fall apart.
“Dead tissue was removed, the abdomen was thoroughly washed and the wall was closed with a lot of difficulty.”
Dr Sunil Janged said Jhanvi’s body was “shutting down” before the operation.
He added: “We knew that baby won’t give us much time, so operation was the only resort left to us.
“Major surgery on such a tiny baby with such poor condition was very much difficult and challenging scenario for our team.
“But this baby was the only hope for the family.”
Jhanvi required breathing support for 54 days after the operation. She was able to digest milk after one month and began drinking from a spoon within three and a half months.
Doctors say she is in a healthy condition after the procedure at Jivanta Children’s Hospital, Udaipur, India.
Mum Umesh said: “We had completely lost hope until we met the doctors at Jivanta Hospital.
“But we had full faith on the team as previously they saved a baby weighing just 400g.
“After going through so many odds, she finally is coming home.
“I am extremely thankful to the team of experts who took immense care of her.”
Only five babies weighing less than 500g have survived abdominal surgery worldwide, according to Dr Pradeep Suryawanshi, senior professor & head of neonatology.
Most babies are born healthy at or near their due date. Sometimes, though, babies are born early and might have health problems.
Babies born before 37 weeks are premature. A premature birth is more likely to happen when a mother has certain health problems — like diabetes — or does harmful things during her pregnancy, like smoke or drink. If she lives with a lot of stress, that also can make her baby be born too early.
Many things can cause a baby to be born early or with health problems. Some of these things can be controlled, but others can’t. Here’s what you can do to have a healthy pregnancy.
Some things that may increase the chances of a premature birth are out of your control. This doesn’t mean that your baby will be born sick or too early. Remember, most babies are born healthy.
Here are some things you can’t control during pregnancy:
Your age. Mothers who are 17 or younger or 35 or older are more likely to have a premature baby. Teen moms are more likely to get high blood pressure during pregnancy and less likely to get the health care they need. Older women are more likely to have health problems before they get pregnant.
The number of babies (multiples). The chances of having a premature baby go up if the mother is pregnant with twins, triplets, or more. More than half of all twins are born early.