Neonatal Staff Saves Life of 1kg Infant

A newborn infant admitted to our Neonatal Unit typically spends less than a week there. However, some babies cannot survive without a lengthier stay. Airnoy Sounie needed more than two months of the intensive care provided by the unit’s doctors and nurses.

Airnoy Sounie was born prematurely at only 28 weeks gestation. The LFHC team was asked to attend his delivery at the neighboring Provincial Hospital and immediately provided resuscitation and the care necessary to help him survive. He weighed less than 1 kg (about two pounds) at the time of his birth.

In the Neonatal Unit, he was placed on a CPAP machine to help him breathe, given  IV fluids and fed by a nasogastric tube. He was also given many medications to help treat infections, prevent apnea and help close a PDA (patent ductus arteriosus, an extra blood vessel found in newborn babies that could cause blood to flow into the lungs).

After several weeks, Airnoy Sounie gained the ability to breathe without support and learned to breastfeed. His weight nearly doubled and he was about to be sent home with his parents, who were always with him at the hospital.

The family lives in Luang Prabang and expressed their gratitude to the hospital staff for all the care and support of their baby.