Timely procedure saves infant's life who was born with rare lung disease

An infant who was born with a rare lung disease that pushed the heart and food pipe to the right side of her body, underwent a life-saving procedure, right after her birth. She was only one hour old, weighing 2.5 kilos, when the procedure helped shift back the organs to their normal positions.

On May 21, the baby was born through normal delivery at SRV Mamata Hospital in Dombivli. But, within an hour after her birth, she developed respiratory problems. Diagnosis showed that her respiratory rate was more than 50 breaths per minute, hence she was immediately shifted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). X-ray revealed that the left side of the lung had collapsed due to which she was having difficulty breathing and her blood pressure was decreasing. She was diagnosed with pneumothorax, a rare lung disease where air gets collected between the lung and the chest wall, and this happens due to air leaking out of the lung.

"This disorder may develop in newborns without any prior symptom indicating the same. It can also happen to those who have lung disorders such as respiratory distress syndrome or meconium aspiration syndrome. We placed an emergency Intercostal drainage (ICD) tube on the right chest. The air was removed from the chest cavity. A repeat X-ray was done for three days which showed the ICD in position and functioning well," said Dr Amey Kakirde, neonatologist at SRV Mamata Hospital, Dombivli.

As the procedure helped suck out the accumulated air, gradually the heart, oesophagus and food pipe moved back to their original positions. It took nearly two months for the baby to recover completely. "When the air is cleared off, the organs that had shifted to the right, are relieved of the air pressure on them. So, they gradually started shifting back to their normal positions," Dr Kakirde added.

Also Read: Four-month-old girl who suffered heart attacks undergoes rare heart operation at Mumbai hospital

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