CHENNAI: Doctors at Kauvery Hospital performed an emergency C-section on a Covid-19 woman and saved her pre-term baby, on Wednesday. A press release from the hospital said that the woman tested positive on August 17 and was admitted to the hospital on August 21 with breathlessness and discomfort.
Shortly after admission, the woman who was in the 28th week of pregnancy required ventilator support as the blood oxygen levels dropped. Generally in cases of extreme hypoxia, doctors place patients in a prone position, but in this case this option was ruled out as she was pregnant.
Despite the situation being risky as the baby’s lungs not yet fully developed, doctors recommended a C-section. After the operation, the baby was shifted to the neonatal ICU and the mother was taken to the ICU and placed on ventilator support. In a weeks’ time the mother gradually improved and was out of ICU and ventilator. After she recovered from Covid-19, the woman was allowed to feed her baby, the release said.