Baby needed treatment for 12 hours in NICU

NAVI MUMBAI: Going beyond his call of duty, a doctor in Alibaug rushed a newborn on his bike to a hospital with ICU facilities 1.5km away hours after his birth, helping save the baby’s life. The child’s aunt, a nurse, rode pillion with him in her arms (see pic). Thanks to Dr Rajendra Chandorkar’s alacrity, the baby has recovered, and is set to go home.The boy, weighing 2.9kg, was born at Dr Vaje Nursing Home around 7.30am on Tuesday. Soon, he began struggling to breathe, said doctors. Also, the infant had cyanosis, a condition in which the skin turns pale blue and grey. This spurred the need to keep him in intensive care for newborns, also known as NICU.The 2.9kg boy was born at Dr Vaje Nursing Home at 7.30am on Tuesday but struggled to breathe, said doctors. The infant had cyanosis, a condition where the skin turns pale blue and grey, so he had to be kept in intensive care for newborns (NICU). His mother, a 32-year-old schoolteacher, was also critical, having delivered 10 days before the due date through C-section. She had diabetes and other medical complications.Dr Chandrakant Vaje from the nursing home called up Dr Chandorkar of Anandi Maternity & Child Hospital , 1.5km away, which had an NICU. Dr Chandorkar reached the nursing home on his bike but there was no ambulance. The baby’s aunt, Supriya Petkar (28), a nurse at a public health centre, requested the doctor to take them on his bike, with her holding the child.“The baby was taken to NICU, resuscitated, given fluids, antibiotics and oxygen for 12 hours,” said Dr Chandorkar.