“She’s just fought and fought and fought against all the odds.”
A baby born twelve weeks premature has finally gotten to go home, seven months after coming into the world.
Baby Manushi was born in Rajasthan in northern India on 15 June last year, weighing just 400g (less than a pound).
She was delivered via emergency C-section at 28 weeks after a scan revealed that there was restricted blood flow to her mother Seeta’s womb because of high blood pressure, reports the Hindustan Times.
Manushi wasn’t expected to make it. She wasn’t breathing when she was born and her organs were severely underdeveloped. Doctors were also concerned that if she did survive, she’d be severely brain damaged.
She was brought to Intensive Care at Jivanta Children’s Hospital and lost weight in the first few days after her birth but, miraculously, began to grow after a number of blood transfusions and nutrients.
“We had to start the baby on total parenteral nutrition, which basically means giving all the essential nutrients, such as amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, multivitamins, and trace elements, directly into blood circulation,” said Dr Sunil Janged who treated baby Manushi.
She was eventually able to digest milk at seven weeks and her brain began to develop normally.
Now, weighing 5.2 lbs at seven months, she’s finally ready to go home with mum Seeta and dad Giriraj.
“She’s just fought and fought and fought against all the odds, but she’s made it,” Seeta said.
Dr Ajay Gambhir, former president of the Neonatology Forum of India, said Manushi’s parents had “set an example” for the community in their determination for their daughter to survive.
“Rajasthan where the girls, still considered a burden, are thrown into the trash immediately after birth or are left in the orphanage.
“The couple treated their baby girl, who had negligible chance of survival.”
Doctors waived the reported 1 million rupee (€12,764) hospital bill for treating Manushi, according to the Independent.
