'Micro-preemie' twin babies born at 24 weeks weighing 1.3 pounds
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The tiny girls weighed just 1.3 pounds each when they were born on Oct. 25, 2017, only five and a half months into their mother's pregnancy. (Indiaphotoagency / SWNS.com)
Twin girls who were born at 24 weeks weighing about a pound each have become the smallest to survive in India, finally going home at 4 pounds.
First-time parents, Chinta Devi and Chandeshwar Ram, who were finally able to conceive after 21 years with the help of IVF treatment, almost lost their chance at a family when mother Chinta began bleeding just 24 weeks into her pregnancy.
"She had uncontrolled blood pressure and gestational diabetes,” Dr. Simi Sood, of Jivanta Children's Hospital, told SWNS. "As the survival of the babies was becoming compromised, she was taken up for emergency Caesarean section," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As soon as the twin sisters were born, they went on a ventilator, and spent a total of 115 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). (Indiaphotoagency / SWNS.com)
As soon as the twin sisters were born, they had to spend 80 days on a ventilator because they were struggling to breathe, and a total 115 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
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Their lungs and guts were not fully developed when they were born, so they had to be given medicines to expand their lungs and fed essential nutrients through an IV line.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The babies also had infections in their blood, and their heart function was poor. Doctors inserted intravenous umbilical lines in order to pump essential nutrients into their bloodstreams because they could not feed.
Dr. Sunil Janged, Chief Neonatologist at Jivanta Children's Hospital, said, "It was a long and tough journey for me and my team.”
First-time parents, Chinta Devi and Chandeshwar Ram are grateful for the care Dr. Simi Sood, of Jivanta Children's Hospital gave their twin daughters. (Indiaphotoagency / SWNS.com)
He went on to say, "At the best of centers, only 30 percent of such babies born this early survive. Most doctors do not even attempt to save such babies, as the possibility of healthy survival is low.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It is only the latest technology, and the high-end expertise of our NICU team, which has pulled this off," the neonatal specialist told the news service.
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After three months of being in intensive care, the twins were discharged weighing 4.4 and 4.2 pounds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Their father expressed their gratitude for Dr. Janged and his team.
"All this would not have been possible without the support of doctors,” Chandeshwar told SWNS. "It was not possible for us to bear hospital expenses as we belong to a low income family from Bihar.”
The relieved father added, "The hospital waived 50 percent of the cost of the treatment in order to send a 'pro-girl tolerance' message to society."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The two girls are now thriving, with normal brain function and eyesight developing normally.