In the early days of the Lunar New Year 2025, a premature infant completed a miraculous survival journey at Hanh Phuc International Hospital. Born at 26 weeks of gestation and weighing only 750 grams, the baby faced a critical condition requiring urgent and intensive neonatal care. After 99 days of treatment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the baby was clinically stable and discharged on the 3rd day of Tet, returning home to celebrate the new year with his family.

At just 26 weeks of pregnancy, Ms. N.T.N.N went into spontaneous preterm labor and was immediately admitted to Hanh Phuc International Hospital. The baby was born via emergency delivery, weighing only 750 grams—barely the size of an adult hand. He presented with extreme prematurity and severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Immediately after birth, the neonatal team provided positive pressure ventilation using a manual resuscitator (Ambu bag), followed by endotracheal intubation and transfer to the NICU for advanced life support.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thien An, MSc, Pediatric Specialist Level I – Head of NICU at Hanh Phuc International Hospital: “Preterm infants at 26 weeks gestation are at high risk of respiratory failure, sepsis, intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and long-term complications. Right from the delivery room, we implemented the ‘Golden Hour’ protocol—comprehensive and timely interventions within the first 60 minutes of life to optimize survival and reduce complications. The journey required not only medical expertise but also immense dedication and teamwork from the entire NICU staff.”

In the weeks following birth, the infant was continuously monitored with serial bedside chest X-rays and received intratracheal surfactant therapy to improve pulmonary function. A central umbilical venous catheter was placed for total parenteral nutrition (TPN), while minimal enteral nutrition was initiated early to stimulate gastrointestinal motility and reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

On November 12, 2024, the infant developed signs of severe anemia and required a red blood cell transfusion to restore hematologic stability and improve oxygen delivery to tissues. Concurrently, echocardiography revealed a significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which was managed medically with pharmacologic treatment rather than surgery.

After five weeks of intensive respiratory support, the infant was successfully weaned off mechanical ventilation and transitioned to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), followed by nasal cannula oxygen therapy. By the ninth week of life, he achieved full spontaneous breathing without respiratory support—an essential milestone indicating readiness for discharge planning.

Nutritional management was a key factor in recovery. During the initial critical phase, the infant was entirely dependent on parenteral nutrition to meet metabolic demands. Gradually, as gastrointestinal tolerance improved, enteral feeds with expressed breast milk were introduced via orogastric tube. Each milliliter of milk represented not just nutrition, but a tangible step forward in the infant’s development. Despite slow weight gain initially—reaching only 1,530 grams by week 8—the team adjusted the feeding plan to enhance growth velocity. At discharge, the infant weighed 2,320 grams, meeting the discharge criteria in terms of weight, thermoregulation, respiratory stability, and feeding ability.

In addition to respiratory and nutritional challenges, the infant was also at risk of common complications in extreme prematurity, such as nosocomial infections and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The medical team performed a full panel of assessments, including echocardiography, cranial ultrasound, fundoscopic eye exam, and abdominal ultrasound. All results were within normal limits, confirming the infant’s clinical stability. Once the baby was able to breathe on his own and tolerate full oral feeds, he was transferred to a rooming-in unit with his mother for final observation and bonding prior to discharge.

The baby’s mother, Ms. N.T.N.N, shared emotionally: “During those three months, I only saw my baby briefly after birth before he was transferred to the NICU. Every moment after that was filled with anxiety. I sat outside the NICU every day, waiting for updates. I was terrified, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. All I wanted was to hold him again.”

She recalled the distressing moments when the monitor alarms would sound, when his oxygen saturation dropped, and his lips turned blue.

“There were days I could do nothing but cry. But there were also days of joy—when he started tolerating a few milliliters of milk, when he no longer needed the ventilator, when he opened his eyes to look at us. I knew then that he was fighting to stay with us.”

After 99 days of intensive care, the extremely preterm infant was officially discharged, starting a new chapter of life surrounded by love and hope. This was not only a joyful moment for the family but also a meaningful victory for the NICU team at Hanh Phuc International Hospital.

“Today, our son leaves the NICU—not behind glass, not attached to machines—but in our arms. No words can express how grateful we are. He has conquered the toughest start in life. Whatever he may face in the future, we know he already overcame the hardest part. We wish him a life full of health and happiness.” — Ms. N.T.N.N.