Hyderabad: How Niloufer Hospital docs saved premature underweight quadruplets against all odds

Hyderabad: Amrutha, a 24-year-old mother from Hasthinapur, Hyderabad, gave birth to quadruplets at Niloufer Hospital on February 22. The babies, two boys and two girls, were delivered after a Caesarean section due to premature labor. Both babies were born well before 37 weeks.

Critical Neonatal Care

Weighing 1.6 kg, 1.5 kg, 1.4 kg, and 1.2 kg, the newborns required immediate ventilator support due to their extreme prematurity and low birth weight. They were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) under the supervision of Dr. L. Swapna, Professor and Head of the Department of Neonatology. The babies remained on mechanical ventilators for 7-10 days to support their breathing.

Support from Human Milk Bank

In the initial days, Amrutha faced challenges in providing breast milk to all four babies. With assistance from the Human Milk Bank at Niloufer Hospital, the infants received a combination of their mother’s milk and donor human milk.

Battling Prematurity Complications

The newborns faced several complications common in preterm infants, including sepsis, jaundice, apnea, and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). One of the babies required eye surgery, which was conducted with the support of specialists from Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.

Recovery and Discharge

Over 35 days, the babies gradually improved and were shifted from the NICU to general wards. Upon discharge, their weights had increased to 1.7 kg, 1.92 kg, 1.86 kg, and 1.54 kg.

Dr. L. Swapna stated, “Managing quadruplet preterm babies is always a challenge. The coordinated efforts of our NICU team, along with the support from the Human Milk Bank and ophthalmologists, helped these babies recover successfully.”

Amrutha expressed her gratitude, saying, “It was a difficult journey, but the doctors and nurses at Niloufer Hospital provided excellent care. I am relieved that all my babies are now healthy and exclusively on breast milk.”

Ongoing Care

The babies will require regular follow-up checkups to monitor their growth and development. Medical experts emphasize the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, vaccinations, and continued monitoring for their long-term health.

The successful discharge of the quadruplets marks a significant achievement for Niloufer Hospital’s neonatal care unit, reinforcing its role as a leading center for high-risk pregnancies and premature infant care.