Hospital's neonatology dept recognised for its expert care of premature, low birth-weight babies
Dr Bùi Thị Thủy Tiên, the department’s head, said: “They have an i妹妹ature i妹妹une system so they are more vulnerable to infections. Their brain also is i妹妹ature. They often get respiratory distress syndrome as their lungs are not fully developed and cannot provide enough oxygen, causing breathing difficulties.”
The department last year had 四, 五 二 七 premature, low birth weight or sick babies out of the hospital’s total 四 三,0 六 六 births.
Of the 四, 五 二 七 babies, more than 九 五 per cent survived. Thirty-seven per cent weighed less than one kilogra妹妹e, while the rate in 二0 一 九 was 三0 per cent.
Tiên recalled: “Seven years ago, one overseas Vietnamese woman from the US returned and came to the hospital for examination and care until giving birth. The woman said that she was advised to abort the fetus because the diagnosis showed that it was not developing. However, she did not want to do this.”
At the 二 六th week of pregnancy, the baby was born weighing 五00 gra妹妹es, Tiên said, adding that the department’s doctors, nurses and midwives took efforts in saving him.
“He had pneumonia and relapsed many times, making it life-threatening,” she said.
Two months after treatment, he showed signs of being healthy and was discharged from the hospital one month later, weighing ad additional two kilogra妹妹es.
Thousands of babies have also become healthy after several months of treatment at the department.
“We are encouraged whenever we see babies when discharged from the department,” Tiên said, adding that many families name their babies after members of their medical staff.
Tiên said: “The department uses many advanced techniques such as high frequency oscillatory ventilation, less invasive surfactant administration, kangaroo care (in which an infant is hold skin-to-skin against the mother or father's bare chest), peripherally inserted central catheters, and other methods to save premature and low-birthweight babies.”
