Baby Qi Qi's treatment offers medical inspiration
A relieved mother holds a healthy baby, Qi Qi, who had successful surgery in the city.
A baby girl nicknamed Qi Qi offers hope for babies with congenital heart diseases.
Last month Shanghai Children's Medical Center successfully operated on Qi Qi, who had suffered a complete transposition of her great arteries.
She had to receive a prenatal oxygen uptake intervention during her mother's pregnancy and an operation after she was born. Now fully recovered Qi Qi, has left the hospital with a normally functioning nervous system and heart.
The hospital said Qi Qi is an example of how a combination therapy of prenatal intervention and postnatal surgery is bringing new hope to babies with congenital heart diseases, Shanghai Children's Medical Center said Tuesday.
This therapy can cut the risk of heart and brain damage for babies as well as with regard to other complications, the hospital said.
Qi Qi's mother said her baby was diagnosed with the problem arteries when she was five months pregnant and she turned to the hospital for help in April.
Such a critical congenital disease often requires an immediate surgery after birth to prevent brain damage and developmental disorders.
"We were considering that it could be better with the postnatal surgery if we can take some measures to relieve the baby's lack of oxygen during pregnancy," said Dr Zhu Zhongqun.
Qi Qi's mother received regular oxygen uptakes and ultrasonic scanning at the hospital to protect the baby's brain function and vessel development.
After Qi Qi was delivered, she underwent a successful three-hour surgery.
