Patent ductus arteriosus – PDA is one of the most common congenital anomaly that transpires in new-born babies when a temporary blood vessel, called the ductus arteriosus fails to close naturally within 24–48 hours after birth. Premature babies are more vulnerable and hence after birth must be carefully examined by the doctors. If PDA goes undetected in a baby, then it will exist in adulthood as well, unless a corrective measure is taken. The ductus arteriosus opening can range from small to large. Large openings invariably aggravate the severity of the patient’s condition. Most common symptoms are poor weight gain, difficulty in feeding, abnormal breathing, fatigue and murmuring sound during heartbeat.
While PDA is easily treatable in a baby without much difficulty, it is the coexistence of other disease along with PDA which makes a patient’s condition worse. Debika Biswas Roy, a young mother from Naihati had to face such a situation when her new-born baby had both Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Rubella is a contagious viral disease and better known as German measles. Congenital Rubella Syndrome is one of the leading causes of deafness in children. Rubella leads to miscarriage or serious birth defects in a developing baby if a woman is infected while she is pregnant. Vaccination is the only way to prevent this disease. MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) is the most prescribed vaccine recommended and given administered free by Government of India and in addition a second booster dose recommended to all pre-pubertal girls preferably by 14 years or before they get pregnant. Debika was unimmunized and got infected in pregnancy and as such her child was infected by Rubella while growing in mother’s womb. He was diagnosed to have congenital PDA which was large and causing problems. However, her child’s survival story is unique in every sense because she found hope amidst such impossibility, when all the renowned physicians and hospitals of this city had given up on her son.
Debika Biswas Roy got her first shock of her life when she was carrying the baby in her womb. While getting her USG done as a part of routine check-up, doctor informed her that the baby was in danger since the amniotic fluid had reduced. As her delivery date approached she visited few more gynecologists but nobody could help her much. Eventually she had to go for an emergency delivery and gave birth to a son. The baby weighed 1.800 kg when a standard term baby would weigh around 3 kg. Not surprisingly, he was kept in neo-natal intensive care unit. The baby was also born with reddish rashes which the doctors immediately suspected to be Rubella and was confirmed further by blood tests. While doing an echocardiography the doctors found out that the baby had Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a congenital heart condition that affects blood flow in the heart .Baby had to be treated in hospital for heart failure and chest infection. Getting devastated both emotionally and physically with ongoing hospital stay since birth and looking for a hospital where they could seek definitive and curative treatment, Debika and her husband admitted their baby boy to CK Birla Hospitals- BMB. The baby was put under the care of expert pediatric cardiologist Dr. Subhendu Mandal at the hospital.
Dr. Subhendu Mandal who performed the cardiac intervention says, “Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is not rare in babies. Every baby is born with an open Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) and the ductus arteriosus close after birth within a stipulated time. However, this baby was born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome as well, which led to failure of closing the ductus arteriosus. It was a 6mm PDA and that was very large for this new-born who weighted only 2 kg. And this couldn’t be solved without an invention or a surgery. Sparing the child from surgery I decided to go for device closure to give the best clinical outcome with my skill. The cardiac defect was closed through intervention using an extremely advanced implant device. In Eastern India, this was one of its kind in PDA interventions done with a special device in a very small newborn child. The child has been now permanently cured of PDA and he can lead a normal life “
Debika Biswas who had lost all her hope initially, found the will to live for her son when Dr. Mandal gave her assurance. When most doctors and hospitals had given up on Debika’s baby, she took her biggest chance at CK Birla Hospitals- BMB. Even now she believes her son’s survival was nothing short of a miracle. Debika Biswas Roy, the mother of the child, states, “It is still unbelievable for me that I can hold my son in my arms. When all doctors told me my child won’t survive, it was only Dr. Mandal who made me believe that there was still a chance. My child got his second life because of him. I would also like to mention how the dedicated post-operative care given by the nursing staff has boosted my son’s fast recovery. I am extremely thankful to CK Birla Hospitals- BMB and Dr. Mandal for all that they have done for us.” CK Birla Hospitals – BMB has been a symbol of trust over the years, and has earned the distinctive reputation from its patients for being a safe destination for cardiac treatment. The hospital has met some successful landmarks and will continue its pursuit in saving lives.
Suggested by- Dr. Subhendu Mandal, Consultant at Department of Pediatric Cardiology, CK Birla Hospitals- BMB
Photograph by- নিজস্ব প্রতিনিধি
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