Chennai: An extremely critical Covid-19 positive pregnant woman was successfully treated by a Chennai hospital by performing an emergency C-section to save the lives of both the mother and the baby.
Priyadarshini, who had tested positive for Covid-19, was brought to Kauvery Hospital, with complaints of breathlessness and discomfort.
Shortly after admission, the mother who was in her 28th week of pregnancy required ventilator support as the oxygen levels in her blood dropped precipitously. Generally, in cases of extreme hypoxia, doctors place the patients in a prone position, but the doctors ruled out this option as the woman was pregnant.
To ensure the safety of the mother and the baby, the team of doctors recommended an emergency C-section, but there were a lot of risks associated as the mother was in the 28th week of pregnancy and the baby’s lungs was not yet fully developed. Nevertheless, determined to save the lives of both mother and child, the team of doctors obtained consent from the family.
The patient was wheeled into the theatre for an emergency C-section and the baby was shifted to the neonatal ICU after delivery. Subsequently, the mother was taken to the ICU and placed on ventilator support.
In a week’s time, the mother gradually improved and the ICU doctors carefully weaned her from ventilator support. She was shifted to the ward subsequently and was allowed to see the child for the first time in NICU. After she recovered from Covid-19, mother was allowed to feed her baby.