City doctors save extremely underweight triplets successfully

MADURAI: When Jothi and Govardhanan had not had any children even fifteen years after their marriage, the couple decided to go for an in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. The treatment worked, and to add to their delight, they learnt that they were going to have triplets. However, when the three babies, two girls and one boy, were born on the first week of March, their moment of joy was clouded by the realization that the children were extremely underweight and would not survive for long.Born after 28 weeks instead of the normal 40 weeks, the son and one daughter weighed 500g and 540g respectively, while the other daughter weighed just around 1.05kg.But today, Sakthipriya, Mayakannan and Saipriya are alive and healthy, and weigh around 3.170kg, 1.320kg and 1.480kg respectively, thanks to the efforts of two doctors from a hospital here. The process was not easy, the doctors said, since the children's internal organs had not developed completely due to premature birth."Appropriate resuscitation and initial stabilisation had to be done in order to ensure their survival. The babies were very tiny and it was difficult to find vein to give life-supporting IV fluids. The babies were put on ventilator support and given womb-like ambience. They were discharged after more than 90 days of observation," said neonatalist Dr P Vinodh of Vadamalayan Hospitals who, along with obstetrics and gynaecology specialist Jalaja Ashok, saved the children's lives.Although there have been instances of saving a baby weighing less than 500g in the country, saving triplets without complications is rare. These babies are prone to several complications like intra ventricular haemorrhage, sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis, so meticulous supervision and care are needed to save them, Dr Vinodh added.S G Jothi and her ex-army man husband S B Govardhanan, who hail from Anaiyur in the city, are overjoyed. "We knew it would be triplets and even expected underweight children. But it was heartbreaking to know after delivery that the babies were extremely underweight and their survival would be difficult. The doctors have saved my children," Jothi said.The hospital, considering the heavy medical expenses, are offering free medical consultation for a year to the babies.