Chonnam National University Bitgoeul Hospital

Chonnam National University Hospital saves an extremely premature infant (23-week gestation, 570g) Discharged in healthy condition after intensive treatment by Prof. Yeong-Ryun Choi Chonnam National University Hospital saved an extremely premature infant, Sao Mai, who was born after 23 weeks and 5 days of gestation period and weighed only 570g. Sao Mai was born last September at A clinic in Gwangju and then transferred to Chonnam National University Hospital for successful operation and intensive care, and discharged in healthy condition with body weight of 2940g and height of 49.5cm at the age of 124 days on January 9. Sao mai was on the ventilator due to respiratory distress at the early period of hospitalization and received nutrition through fluid intubation, but has 50~60cc of milk every 2~3 hours now and the body weight is increasing 30-40g each day. The parents of Sao Mai are Vietnamese students currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the Graduate college, Chonnam National University. Sao Mai was recorded as a patient with the shortest gestation period and the lowest body weight among extremely premature infants survived after treatment at Chonnam National University Hospital. Also, at the 11th day after birth, Sao Mai, with the body weight of 530g, received cardiac surgery (PDA ligation) by Prof. In-seok Jeong, Department of Thoracic Surgery and recorded as the patient with successful operation with the lowest body weight. At discharge, Sao Mai, 4 months old, was healthy without oxygenator and without complications in the brain and the retina. This is the rare case in the country and the first successful case in Gwangju？Jeonnam region. Extremely low birth weight infants are those who have birth weight less than 1,000g, and have immature organs such as the lung and the heart, and the survivability is very uncertain. Prof. Choi who treated Sao Mai mentioned “Active treatment immediately after birth is important but Sao Mai was born in the clinic without neonatal intensive care unit and was an extremely low birth weight infant. Thus it was difficult to be optimistic at first.” And he added, “But intensive cooperation between related medical staffs and strong faith of the parents, and encouragement from neighbors led to good results, and I hope Sao Mai will grow healthier in the future.”