We are proud to share that Dr. Vinoad Bharrati, Director and Consultant Gynaecologist at Rising Medicare Hospital & Elite Momz, Pune, has successfully managed a highly critical preterm pregnancy case, helping save both mother and baby in the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Pune doc saved the mom-baby duo in the 22nd week

This doctor helped prolong a pregnancy by eight weeks through a procedure known as emergency rescue cerclage.

The preterm baby girl and the gynecological team at Elite Momz Hospital

“She was in the 22nd week of her pregnancy, had no symptoms or complaints, and just came in for a routine scan,” says Dr Vinoad Bharrati, the obstetrician and gynecologist at Elite Momz, a unit of Rising Medicare Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, who treated her.

The sonography however revealed a critical problem — her cervical canal which is supposed to open only at term, was completely open, and bulging membranes were noted in her vagina. This is known as cervical incompetence, which puts the pregnancy at risk. The fetus weighed only around 500 grams at that time, and there was no chance of advancing the delivery.

“Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are classified as preterm,” explains Dr Bharrati.

“There was a huge risk of losing the baby,” says Dr Bharrati. “We started thinking about ways to prolong the duration of the pregnancy — with a longer gestational age, she could have a safer delivery.”

Life-saving cervical stitch

After discussing the issues and risks involved at length with the couple, Dr Bharrati decided to go ahead with an urgent procedure, an emergency rescue cerclage, that could prolong the pregnancy. In this surgical procedure, a stitch is inserted in the cervix to prevent a miscarriage and an extremely preterm birth.

Dr Vinoad Bharrati

“Unfortunately,” says Dr Bharrati, “Two to three days after the surgery, the woman began showing signs of an infection. The rescue method we chose was also failing, the stitch had to be removed immediately.”

The woman then spent a few weeks under the close supervision of the obstetrics and gynecology team at the hospital, which included Dr Shweta Giri, a fetal medicine specialist.

“We continued managing the situation with IV fluids and antibiotics. There were both physical and psychological aspects to address. Our goal was to ensure the baby’s growth while also maintaining the mother’s health. She was suggested bed rest and close monitoring, which included tests and scans.”

Baby delivered at 28th week

In the 28th week of pregnancy, after labor pains ensued, the woman delivered a premature baby girl who weighed 1,500 grams at birth. The baby then spent around 50 days in the ICU and when she was finally discharged, weighed around 1600 grams.

“We were able to discharge the baby, who weighed 1600 grams, which was better than the 22nd week,” says Dr Bharrati.

Speaking to Happiest Health, the father of the baby, who wanted to remain anonymous recounted the harrowing experience the couple went through. “At one and a half months old, my daughter developed pneumonia and was admitted again, for about a month.”

He says that the pregnancy journey was especially tough on his wife, who is now 33. “Every day, she was stressed about miscarriage. And once she was on bed rest, it was tough to be in a reclined position all day. She also developed a urinary tract infection due to the urinary catheter. Unfortunately, things were difficult after the delivery as well. Two to three months after the delivery, she developed postpartum depression,” the husband narrated.

He says the baby is now nine months old and weighs around six kilos and has met most of the important milestones. “Post-discharge, her low weight was the only persistent concern. But now the doctors say her weight is normal for a preterm baby.”