At 26 weeks pregnant, Ms. Thanh Hoa suffered from severe preeclampsia complications. The doctor ordered a cesarean section to save both mother and child; the baby was born prematurely, weighing 900 grams, and had to be cared for with an incubator and ventilator.
According to her medical records, Ms. Hoa was 41 years old but this was her first pregnancy. When she went for a prenatal check-up near her home, she discovered she had high blood pressure but was still monitored. When she was 26 weeks pregnant, Ms. Hoa began to experience headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness, so she was taken to the hospital for monitoring and was at high risk of preeclampsia.
After 24 hours of medication, blood pressure was still high with test results showing signs of worsening, the pregnant woman was advised to have a cesarean section to save the mother.
The baby girl was born weighing only 900 grams, was resuscitated in the operating room, given oxygen, then transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and cared for in an incubator. The mother received intensive care in the Intensive Care Unit because she showed signs of liver and kidney failure, and was discharged after a week.
Ms. Hoa's daughter had to spend a long time in an incubator, receiving intensive care. After 120 days of treatment at the Neonatal Center - Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Hoa's daughter weighed 3kg, was healthy, and was discharged from the hospital in early September.
Ms. Hoa’s case is one of many cases where children are forced to be born earlier than expected to have a chance to continue living. And forcing a child to be born early is a difficult and challenging decision for both the doctor and the mother’s family.
According to Dr. Cam Ngoc Phuong, Director of the Neonatal Center - Tam Anh General Hospital, a baby is considered premature when the gestational age at birth is between 22 and 36 weeks. The more premature the baby is, the more serious the health risks are, the mortality rate is very high at gestational age under 28 weeks.
At birth, babies face health problems such as low weight, immature organs, weakened immune systems, body temperature disorders, digestive disorders, affecting future physical and mental development.
Therefore, before actively prescribing an early birth, the obstetrician-neonatal team must consult to plan a safe birth.
To protect the brain of premature babies, doctors administer Magnesium sulfate to pregnant women who are expected to give birth within 24 hours, or pregnant women who have been scheduled for an early cesarean section before 32 weeks.
According to Dr. Phuong, with proper coordination from the beginning, newborns are given drugs to protect the lungs and brain, improving severe health complications due to premature birth.
