Over 7.2 million seconds of fighting for life. Thus begins the story of Gabriela Bertoldo da Luz, who was born on February 24, 2023 with a weight of 495 grams and a height of 22.5 centimeters at Unimed Hospital in Chapeco, west of Santa Catarina. At a gestational age of 26 weeks and six days, showing signs of fetal distress with insufficient blood flow and severe growth retardation, abortion by caesarean section was reassuring.

Extremely premature baby to be discharged after 84 days of hospitalization in Chapeco – Photo: Unimed Chapecó/ND

After Gabriela was born, she required respiratory assistance, intubation for almost two months on a ventilator, administration of nutrients directly into the bloodstream, thermostability measures and infection prevention, and two surgical procedures.

Her journey is inspiring as she overcomes the challenges of extreme prematurity and inspires the family and healthcare professionals who accompany her. To everyone’s delight, the little warrior will be released this Friday (19) when she can visit her home in Casadora, in the western part of Santa Catarina.

“We can’t wait to go home, we’re glad she’s healthy and we hope our daughter enjoys life,” said mother Jessica Bertoldo de Oliveira, 23, a pharmacy saleswoman.

Jessica, pregnant with her first daughter, had pre-eclampsia, although she never had problems with hypertension. Due to changes in obstetric ultrasound, she was advised to terminate the pregnancy in order to avoid the risk of fetal death. Delivery by caesarean section was performed by gynecologist and obstetrician D. Carlos Geovani Yora.

“This period was very difficult for us, but we received support from many people and care from several professionals. We can celebrate great achievements such as discharge from NICU on May 3rd, good recovery from surgical procedures and development of proposed treatments,” the mother analyzes. Gabriela is admitted to the ward, receiving a tube diet dependent on low oxygen supply, breastfeeding training and a weight of 2085 grams.

Sustainability

Gabriela is considered extremely premature as she was born at less than 28 weeks pregnant. According to pediatrician and pediatric intensive care specialist Dr. S. Alisson Piovesani, these babies require much more care due to skin fragility and immaturity of a number of organs, mainly pulmonary function, therefore they require mechanical ventilation and a long period of stay in the department. intensive care.

“We had some complications, but two of them were great. The first was necrotizing enterocolitis with intestinal perforation when he weighed only 600 grams. The operation was performed by pediatric surgeon D. Ricardo Marcelus Araujo Filipak. At the second moment, he had to close the ductus arteriosus, which usually closes after birth, but in extremely premature babies this persists and interferes with the functioning of the lungs and heart. The operation was carried out by a cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Leonardo Lacava”, emphasizes, commenting that she presented a good evolution.

Mother Jessica notes that far from home, family and friends, taking care of little Gabriela was very difficult. “My husband Gabriel da Luz Carneiro, 24, a saw operator, had to return to Cacador for work. I stayed at the halfway house after being discharged from the hospital. But I confess that living in a place that is completely different from what you are used to is difficult, ”he comments. For her, everything that happened in the life of her family serves as a lesson.

“Everything that happened was for my growth as a person, for me to mature, because I needed to learn how to make decisions and relationships. The good memories I have from this stage are of the people I met who went through the same situation. I made friends with them, and they supported me, saying that everything will be fine. The only thing I don’t want to remember is the suffering my daughter went through,” the mother said.

little fighters

For the pediatrician, the multidisciplinary team of Unimed Chapecó was essential to help in the positive development of the extremely premature baby. “The daily care of the entire nursing team, as well as the sectors of physiotherapy, nutrition, speech therapy and psychology, are fundamental to development and therapeutic success. A premature baby needs special attention in these areas, as well as in preparation for breastfeeding and weight gain, ”the doctor justifies.

The baby was born at Unimed Hospital – Photo: Aquivo/Andressa Oliveira Recchia

for dr. What impressed Piovesani most in caring for little Gabriela was her resilience in the face of extremely serious situations, mostly necrotizing enterocolitis with intestinal perforation. “It has a very high risk given the birth weight. And she responded well to surgery. It was nice to see all this positive evolution,” the expert analyzes.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Unimed Chapecó Hospital has state-of-the-art ventilators that contribute to the successful care of premature babies, as well as a team of experienced and dedicated professionals. The pediatrician recalls that the medical cooperative has already taken care of other very premature babies who have developed well with treatment. “The youngest born in this intensive care unit was a girl named Rafaela, weighing 480 grams and 26 weeks pregnant. Today she is almost six years old,” he recalls.

According to the specialist, due to the development of health care, extremely preterm infants are more likely to experience better survival. “However, the death rate is still high. About 75% of premature babies do not survive at 26 weeks of gestation. The shorter the gestation period, the higher the mortality rate. In addition, premature babies under 27 weeks of age are at high risk of serious and irreversible consequences. Currently, the viability limit is around 25 weeks of gestation,” he says.

After discharge from the hospital, these extremely preterm infants require multidisciplinary follow-up. As examples, Dr. Piovesani cites the work of a pediatric neurologist to assess neuropsychomotor development, an ophthalmologist to monitor vision development, a pediatrician to analyze weight and overall development, and a speech therapist and physiotherapist.