Anantapur, Apr 10: Doctors at KIMS Saveera Hospital in Anantapur successfully treated and discharged a premature infant born at just seven months of gestation, highlighting the critical role of advanced neonatal care and donor human milk support.
According to Dr. Mounika Reddy, Consultant Pediatrician and Neonatologist, the infant was born under emergency circumstances after the mother developed severe hypertension during pregnancy. She was initially admitted to a local hospital and later referred to KIMS Saveera for specialized care.
At the time of admission, the pregnancy had not reached full term, and the baby was delivered at the end of the seventh month. The newborn weighed only 900 grams at birth and required immediate admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to extreme prematurity and very low birth weight.
As the mother was unable to provide sufficient breast milk, doctors were concerned about the infant’s growth and immunity. Given the baby’s highly sensitive digestive system, the medical team decided that donor human milk would be the safest and most beneficial option over formula feeding.
In a timely intervention, the KIMS Saveera team reached out to the Anantapur-based ‘Ananta Milk Bank,’ which promptly supplied pasteurized donor human milk. Following this, the infant showed steady improvement and gradually recovered from the initial critical condition.
After nearly a month of intensive care, the baby was discharged in stable condition, free from major complications associated with prematurity. By the time of discharge, the infant’s weight had increased from 900 grams to 1,620 grams.
Dr. Mounika Reddy stated that the availability of a fully equipped NICU at KIMS Saveera played a vital role in saving the infant. She noted that, in the past, such cases often required referral to larger cities like Hyderabad or Bengaluru, but similar advanced care is now accessible locally.
Doctors at the hospital reiterated that, despite advancements in medical science, breast milk remains the best source of nutrition for newborns, particularly for premature infants. They emphasized that timely access to donor human milk can be life-saving in such cases.
The medical team involved in the treatment included Dr. A. Mahesh, Dr. Manohar Gandhi, Dr. Mounika Reddy, and Dr. Swetha. The team also expressed gratitude to the Ananta Milk Bank management and RMO Dr. Hemalatha for their support.
The infant’s parents expressed heartfelt thanks to the doctors, milk bank staff, and donor mothers whose contribution played a crucial role in saving their child’s life.
Doctors also appealed to eligible mothers to consider donating breast milk, underlining the importance of milk banks in providing life-saving support to vulnerable newborns.
