Newborn survives deadly combination of heart arrhythmia and intestinal surgery

Pune: A team of doctors in city has successfully treated a newborn who survived two of the most critical neonatal emergencies within days of birth. The infant’s heart raced at over 300 beats per minute (BPM), a condition that eventually led to a life-threatening intestinal collapse requiring complex surgery.The ordeal began when the mother was rushed for an emergency C-section at 35 weeks. Doctors had noticed fetal tachyarrhythmia. The baby’s heart was racing at a dangerous 300 BPM, far exceeding the normal range.“Recognising the seriousness of the situation, we acted without delay,” said Dr Bhakti Dhamangaonkar, obstetrician at Ankura Hospital. “Though the baby let out a reassuring cry at birth, signs of respiratory distress quickly led to his transfer to the NICU for life-saving care.”Born on Feb 3, 2026, weighing 2.74 kg, the infant was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Despite emergency medications, the episodes of rapid heartbeats returned repeatedly, putting immense strain on his fragile system.The medical team, comprising neonatologists Dr Siddharth Madabhushi, Dr Umesh Vaidya, and Dr Anusha Rao, alongside paediatric cardiologist Dr Ashish Banpurkar worked around the clock to stabilise the infant. However, the heart condition soon triggered a second crisis.Dr Abhijeet Benare, a paediatric surgeon, said the racing heart was starving the baby’s intestines of blood. “Each time the heart raced, blood flow to the gut was reduced. By the fourth day, the baby developed abdominal swelling and bleeding,” he said.The infant had developed necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a severe condition usually seen in premature babies. In this case, it was a rare complication of the heart condition, categorised by specialists as Acquired Neonatal Intestinal Disease (ANID). By the eighth day, the situation escalated to an intestinal perforation.On Feb 12, Dr Benare performed a complex exploratory surgery. “We performed a resection, removing the damaged portion of the intestine, followed by an anastomosis to rejoin the healthy ends. It is a delicate procedure, as the connection must heal perfectly for the intestine to function again,” he said.Post-surgery, the team faced a unique challenge: the baby needed beta-blocker therapy for his heart, but his gut needed total rest to heal from surgery.“Every decision for one system affected the other,” said Dr. Siddharth Madabhushi, Medical Director at Ankura Hospital. “We devised an innovative solution by administering the heart medication via the rectal route—a method not previously reported for this purpose in newborns.”The innovation worked. By day 18, the baby’s gut was able to accept gradual feeds. Supported by a lactation consultant, the mother, Diksha, began feeding her son with growing confidence. After a 25-day battle in the NICU, the baby was discharged on February 28 weighing 2.365 kg.A Rare Medical Milestone Medical literature suggests this may be the first reported case in India of a newborn surviving both refractory SVT and surgical NEC. While similar cases have been documented in Italy and the UK, specialists noted that there is no indexed publication of NEC secondary to SVT in India.“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” the parents said. “There were moments of fear, but the incredible team of doctors gave us hope.”A follow-up in early April confirmed the child is growing healthily. Dr Tanmesh Kumar Sahu, a neonatologist, noted the rarity of the case: “SVT occurs in 1 in 250 to 1,000 newborns, and NEC affects about 8% of NICU admissions. However, the combined incidence of both in a near-term baby is extremely rare.”