Delhi: 22-week-old pre-term baby survives after 105 days in neonatal ICU

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) A baby girl born at just 22 weeks and 5 days of gestation, weighing only 525 grams, has survived after spending 105 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), officials said on Thursday.

According to a statement released by the hospital, the baby, who now weighs 2.010 kilograms, is among the rare few to survive at such an early stage of birth. She has been discharged from Cloudnine Hospital, Patparganj.

The parents, Divya and Sahil Taneja from East Delhi’s Patparganj, had conceived through IVF after facing infertility and a previous miscarriage. The baby was delivered prematurely by C-section when Divya went into labour at 22 weeks, the statement said.

Soon after birth, the baby was intubated, resuscitated and shifted to the NICU.

Babies born this early are considered periviable and have extremely low chances of survival due to underdeveloped organs and a high risk of complications such as infections, brain hemorrhage and respiratory failure.

"Our focus was on developmentally supportive care, kangaroo mother care and exclusive use of the mother’s own milk. These steps were critical for the baby's recovery and steady weight gain," said Dr Jay Kishore, Senior Consultant, Neonatology and Paediatrics.

The baby was gradually taken off ventilation and began breathing independently within a few weeks. During her NICU stay, she also underwent laser treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), and a brain scan before discharge confirmed normal development, the statement added.

Kishore further said that the case highlights how advanced neonatal care, timely intervention and parental involvement can improve survival even at the edge of viability. PTI NSM ANM NSM ANM AMJ AMJ