An unborn child with a blood dysfunction has acquired a transfusion whereas nonetheless within the womb on the Kenyatta Nationwide Hospital (KNH), in what the hospital describes as a sophisticated and important milestone.
4 docs, Dr Rosa Chemwey, Dr Flavia Ogutu, Dr Ikol Adung’o and Dr Kunjira Murayi (Interventional Radiologist) carried out the medical process generally known as Intrauterine Foetal Transfusion.
They have been assisted by nurses Benson Nyankuru, Redempta Mumo and a reproductive well being medical officer, Tony Wainaina.
KNH reveals that the mom whose child underwent the difficult process had beforehand misplaced two youngsters to blood-related issues generally known as haemolytic illness of the new child.
It is a situation wherein a child’s crimson blood cells break down quickly.
Kenyatta Nationwide Hospital medics efficiently transfused a child with a blood situation throughout the womb of the mom in a process that concerned 4 docs. Picture credit score: Pool
Dr Chemwey stated that of the mom’s 4 pregnancies, just one had been profitable.
“We’re decided that this explicit being pregnant will probably be successful. We hope for a optimistic end result. This child is 25 weeks and three days previous,” stated Dr Chemwey.
Medical doctors at KNH found that the newborn had extreme anaemia resulting from rhesus alloimmunisation.
Low crimson blood cell depend
An unborn child who wants this process is given it if it has anaemia or a low crimson blood cell depend.
The docs then seek for matching crimson blood cells that can go well with the newborn with out inflicting additional issues.
After acquiring crimson blood cells that match the foetus’ blood sort, the docs rigorously transfuse crimson blood cells from a donor into the unborn child.
The docs then use ultrasound to examine the place of the foetus and the mom’s placenta to keep away from any medical errors.
When the newborn and mom are prepared for the process, a surgeon inserts a needle into the mom’s stomach after which into the umbilical vein or the newborn’s stomach.
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This isn’t a one-off process and should have to be accomplished each few weeks till the mom is carrying the newborn.
Throughout this time, the mom is given antibiotics, native anaesthetic and intravenous sedation, which additionally sedates the foetus.
The infant is usually given further medicine to stabilise it in the course of the process.
It is a state of affairs in being pregnant the place the mom’s crimson blood cells, which lack the rhesus antigen, are uncovered to rhesus-positive crimson blood cells throughout the placenta, resulting in activation of the mom’s immune system.
Consequently, the mom’s antibodies destroy the newborn’s blood, making it anaemic.
Medical doctors say the transfusion course of takes between half-hour and an hour.
“We transfused between 80 and 100 millilitres of packed crimson blood cells. This blood is particular as a result of it’s O-negative leucoreduced, haemoconcentrated, CMV unfavorable and irradiated to make it very secure for the newborn,” stated Dr Chemwey.
Kenyatta Nationwide Hospital Chief Govt Officer Dr Evanson Kamuri counseled the workforce for a job nicely accomplished.
“That is fetal drugs and an institutional milestone. We’ve achieved one other success in fulfilling our mandate as a premier referral hospital,” he stated in a press release.