MADURAI: A four-day-old baby girl, who tested positive for Coronavirus infection, died at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) on August 2. The baby, born with the fatal ‘meconium aspiration syndrome’, has become the State’s youngest Covid-19 fatality.
According to hospital sources, the mother of the baby, a resident of South Marret Street, tested positive for COVID-19 days before her delivery through caesarean section on July 29. She had term pregnancy and was subsequently admitted to GRH last month.
“As per the ICMR protocol, the newborn was tested for COVID-19 on the second day after her birth. Despite giving artificial ventilation to revive the baby, she breathed her last on August 2 around 10.50 am,” said a senior doctor at the hospital.
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome is a respiratory distress that develops in newborns after they breathe the dark green, intestinal discharge (sterile faecal matter) called ‘meconium’ into their lungs before or at the time of birth.
Sources added that as on Tuesday, nine newborns were treated for COVID-19 at GRH. The deceased newborn was among the six COVID-19 victims from Madurai district, recorded in the Bulletin on Wednesday.