Sharjah doctors give new life to one-day-old baby

Sharjah - The baby boy was diagnosed with a life-threatening birth defect

A team of paediatric experts at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah have performed a successful surgery on a one-day-old baby who was born without an anal opening or imperforate anus.
During a routine postnatal check, the baby boy was diagnosed with imperforate anus, a life-threatening birth defect that usually requires at least one surgical intervention.
Dr Mufique Gajdhar, specialist paediatric surgeon at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah, said: "Immediately after being born, the infant was diagnosed with imperforate anus which means there was no opening at the end of the intestinal tract where the anus normally is."
"We carried out an X-ray scan for further evaluation and performed several additional tests as this defect is often associated with other serious defects, including spinal, cardiac or genitourinary anomalies."
Affecting one out of every 5,000 new born babies, the rare condition is thought to develop between the fifth and seventh weeks of pregnancy and requires an immediate clinical treatment by surgeons specialised in neonatal and paediatric care.
Dr Gajdhar said: "The surgery, called anorectoplasty, was performed when the baby was one day old, and involved a creation of anus by bringing down the rectal pouch through the sphincter muscles."
Lasting 90 minutes, the operation was performed with the help of two paediatric anaesthetists with preoperative and postoperative care given by a team of expert neonatologists.
The infant's father, a Yemeni national living in Sharjah who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I am extremely thankful to Dr Mufique and the entire team for the successful surgery, which gave a second life to my baby.
Dr Ramesh Raju, senior director administration at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah, said: "Normally first-time parents do not realise the complications involved at times in child birth and, therefore, need to be rightly educated on the possibilities and reassured at the most difficult time. We are happy we could bring back a smile on the face of the parents in this case."
The baby boy, whose digestive track has been functioning normally since the surgery, was able to go home with his parents after further check-ups, and will require additional care provided over the next few months.
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• Sharjah