Sonali Hazra, a first-time mother, had all but given up hope when her 25-days-old daughter was diagnosed with COVID-19 and cytokine storm, a dreaded complication of COVID, which severely affects the heart. Today, after another 25 days of treatment at Fortis Anandapur, the family walked out of the hospital with the baby, healthy and smiling.
Sonali delivered a healthy girl by LUCS (Lower (Uterine) segment Caesarean Section) at Durgapur and was discharged on day 7. On day 9 the baby had fever. She was admitted to two local hospitals within a period of 13 days. When the baby did not show signs of improvement, they moved her to Fortis Anandapur on day 25.
Fortis received the young COVID patient on 5th September, 2020, and was admitted under Dr Sumita Saha, Consultant Paediatrician and NICU incharge at Fortis Hospital Anandapur.
Apart from fever, the baby was suffering from severe shock, breathing difficulties, profound anaemia and a mysterious rash all over the body. After necessary tests the baby was found to have COVID-19 infection and cytokine storm. The combination of COVID and a neonatal heart disease made this case rare.
Dr Sumita Saha said “She had to be ventilated with very high level of supports. At one stage, her heart stopped completely and we almost lost all hope. She also had fluid accumulation in her tummy and around her heart.”
The baby was treated with IVIG and steroid. She gradually regained her strength and came out of the ventilation after 5 days.
However, another challenge was waiting around the corner. The doctors had to stop the steroid early on because she developed high blood pressure as a side effect. But stopping that made her condition worse. Heart failure recurred causing significant breathing difficulty and she was ventilated again. This time, her kidneys also started to fail.
“We restarted steroids along with other therapies and after a rather prolonged fight of 25 days, now she is healthy and well”, added Dr Saha.
