Neonate Ward - Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Hospital

Neonate Ward - Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Hospital Caring for the newborn in every possible way.

๐๐ˆ๐‚๐” ๐“๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฌ: ๐“๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐–๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐…๐ข๐ง๐ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐žThis past week, we celebrated the long-awaited homecoming of some of our tiniest w...
18/01/2026

๐๐ˆ๐‚๐” ๐“๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฌ: ๐“๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐–๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐…๐ข๐ง๐ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐ž

This past week, we celebrated the long-awaited homecoming of some of our tiniest warriors, whose journeys in the NICU were nothing short of legendary.

For first-time parents Dorji Peldon and Sangay, the joy of expecting twins was shadowed when they learned their pregnancy was Monochorionic Monoamniotic - a rare condition, occurring in only about 1 in 10,000 pregnancies, where twins share both a placenta and an amniotic sac. When Dorji went into preterm labor - a known risk with twin pregnanciesโ€”she delivered at 29 weeks. Their babies weighed just 1090 and 1130 grams. While the first twin required immediate surfactant treatment for underdeveloped lungs, the second remained stable for three days. Tragically, on the fourth day, an infection took away the second twin. Heartbroken but resilient, the parents poured their love and strength into caring for their surviving child. After two months - marked by challenges with breathing and feeding due to prematurity - their first twin grew strong enough to go home, weighing a healthy 2045 grams.

Tshering Lham and Ugyen approached their twin pregnancy with cautious hope. Their eight-year-old son (seated in between the twins) had been born at 27 weeks weighing only one kilogram necessitating a 3-month NICU stay, and another stint in the NICU was the last thing they wished for. Yet, at 24 weeks, Tshering again went into preterm labor. With careful support from the Obstetric Team, she carried her pregnancy to 26 weeks, delivering twins weighing 925 and 890 grams. The infants faced nearly every challenge of extreme prematurity: immature lungs needing prolonged breathing support, infections, anemia requiring transfusions, feeding difficulties, heart and kidney issues, chronic lung disease, and retinopathy needing laser treatment. Through it all, Tshering, Ugyen, and Tsheringโ€™s mother formed a steadfast trio of care and courage. After 92 days in our NICU, both twins finally went home, each weighing over two kilograms.

We rejoice with both families as they begin life at home with their babies, and we extend our warmest wishes for continued health and growth. We salute the indomitable spirit of these little fighters and the unwavering resilience of their parents. This success was woven together by the parentsโ€™ profound love and sacrifice, the remarkable healing gift of motherโ€™s milk, the nurturing magic of Kangaroo Care, and the dedicated, gentle support of our NICU team.

๐€ ๐‹๐จ๐ง๐  ๐–๐š๐ฒ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐žA few days ago, in a moment bittersweet for both parents and caregivers, we said farewell to a special gr...
16/12/2025

๐€ ๐‹๐จ๐ง๐  ๐–๐š๐ฒ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐ž

A few days ago, in a moment bittersweet for both parents and caregivers, we said farewell to a special group of fighters: our preterm babies, who after months in our care, were finally strong enough to go home. Each of their journeys highlights the fragility and incredible resilience of new life, and the critical importance of maternal health.

Som Mayaโ€™s Story (in light brown jacket): After years of struggling to conceive, Som Maya and her husband welcomed twins via IVF done in India. Despite careful antenatal care, her twin pregnancy led to preterm labor at just 26 weeks. Born weighing only 820 and 910 grams, their lungs were severely underdeveloped, requiring immediate surfactant treatment. Tragically, sepsis claimed their second twin โ€“ a heartbreaking loss for the parents as well us in the NICU. The first twin faced a gauntlet of prematurity: necrotizing enterocolitis, anemia, feed intolerance, and chronic lung disease of prematurity. Yet, with unwavering strength and relentless care from her mother, she braved every challenge. After two and a half months in our NICU, she went home a healthy 1.89 kg.

Thinley Chezomโ€™s Story (in pink jacket): Overjoyed with their first pregnancy, Thinley and her husband were diligent with all the requisite antenatal visits. Yet, at 27 weeks, she delivered a baby girl weighing just 1 kg. The babyโ€™s premature lungs required urgent surfactant treatment and, later, two separate rounds on a ventilator for apnea (a condition in preterm babies where they apparently forget to breathe) and pneumonia. With severely damaged lungs, he needed oxygen support for three months, alongside treatment for anemia, jaundice, and heart complications. After 95 days of a courageous fight, he graduated from our NICU, also weighing a robust 1.89 kg.

Yeshiโ€™s Story (blue jacket): Yeshi conceived after 16 years of marriage, but at 32 weeks, her baby arrived early. Weighing 1.87 kg, the newborn required oxygen for 9 days as we carefully escalated feeds and trained the parents in specialized care of their preterm baby. After a 16-day stay in the NICU, the family went home with their baby, whose weight had climbed to a healthy 2.015 kgโ€”a testament to dedicated care by the parents and our team.

Sonam Demaโ€™s Story (baby held by niece in black jacket): Sonam Demaโ€™s baby was delivered near her due date but weighed only 1.59 kg due to fetal growth restriction. We determined the cause to be the motherโ€™s alcohol use during pregnancy, which led to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This condition carries lifelong implications for growth and development. While her NICU stay was less medically complex, her path forward requires vigilant follow-up. She was discharged after 34 days at 1.91 kg, but her story is a sobering reminder of alcoholโ€™s devastating impact on an unborn child.

These stories are shared not just as milestones, but as powerful lessons. They underscore the realities of premature birth, the lifelong journey it can begin, and the profound effects of maternal health choices. They highlight the non-negotiable importance of preconception counseling, consistent antenatal care, hospital delivery, and holistic care for every expectant mother. Every child deserves the strongest possible start.

โ€œ๐˜๐จ๐ฎโ€™๐ซ๐ž ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐œ๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐›๐š๐›๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐›๐ž๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ก๐ž ๐ฐ๐š๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ž๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐›๐ž ๐›๐จ๐ซ๐ง.โ€ โ€“ ๐€ ๐“๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐…๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ž๐ซโ€™๐ฌ ๐‡๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐‰๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ฒ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐žWhen Ka...
03/11/2025

โ€œ๐˜๐จ๐ฎโ€™๐ซ๐ž ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐œ๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐›๐š๐›๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐›๐ž๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ก๐ž ๐ฐ๐š๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ž๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐›๐ž ๐›๐จ๐ซ๐ง.โ€ โ€“ ๐€ ๐“๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐…๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ž๐ซโ€™๐ฌ ๐‡๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐‰๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ฒ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐ž

When Karma Tshomo welcomed a new pregnancy after a previous loss, she did everything in her power to protect it. However, fate had other plans - she went into spontaneous preterm labour and delivered at 26 weeks โ€“ the limit of viability in Bhutan. Her son entered the world weighing a mere kilogram, his lungs so fragile he was immediately rushed to the NICU. He was placed on a ventilator and given surfactant treatment, but his underdeveloped lungs were not yet ready for the world. He endured multiple bleeds from the lungs, requiring numerous blood transfusions.

After two weeks, he was off the ventilator, only to be put back on two weeks later by severe apneaโ€”a terrifying condition where preterm babies seemingly โ€œforgetโ€ to breathe because of underdeveloped brain connections which normally stimulate breathing. In between he went to the brink of death requiring extensive resuscitation to bring him back.

Being born with such underdeveloped lungs and the prolonged breathing support his lungs needed resulted in chronic lung disease of prematurity, akin to what afflicts elderly people and long-time smokers. For three long months, he relied on oxygen support, before we could finally stop it. After spending more than three days breathing completely on his own, we discharged this tiny fighter into his mother's armsโ€”coincidentally, just one day before his original due date. He weighed a triumphant 3 kilograms, minus a symbolic 5 grams โ€“ a healthy outcome despite of the arduous journey he had undertaken.

Karma joked through a beaming, relieved smile that she was finally taking her baby home, a day before he was even meant to arrive. Her sonโ€™s journey is not over; he will need close follow-up for two years to ensure he grows, meets his milestones, is able to see and hear well, and stays healthy. We celebrate Karma and her husband, whose resilience never wavered, their unwavering courage to hang in there with their baby, and we salute the tremendous fighting spirit of their tiny baby.

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐“๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ž๐ฆ๐š๐ฌ: ๐๐š๐ซ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฅ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ฌ, ๐Ž๐ง๐ž ๐“๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ This past week, two new mothers, both named Pema, celebrated a l...
26/10/2025

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐“๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ž๐ฆ๐š๐ฌ: ๐๐š๐ซ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฅ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ฌ, ๐Ž๐ง๐ž ๐“๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐‡๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ 

This past week, two new mothers, both named Pema, celebrated a long-awaited milestone: bringing their preterm babies home. Their journeys, though unique, were both marked by the life-threatening challenge of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure.

For Pema Zangmo (one in pink t-shirt), her fifth pregnancy was plagued by dangerously high blood pressure and concerns about her baby's growth. Despite the best efforts of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists and Obstetricians to prolong the pregnancy, her baby began to suffer in the womb, necessitating an emergency delivery at just 33 weeks. Born severely growth-restricted at a mere 900 grams, the infant required immediate resuscitation. After a two-month stay in our NICU and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) Wardโ€”during which the baby was mostly on oxygen supportโ€”the baby defied the odds, doubling her weight to a healthy 1.8 kg, and was finally strong enough to go home.

Pem Dolma's story (one in purple t-shirt) began similarly, with a hypertension diagnosis in her third month. While medication helped manage her condition, her baby showed signs of distress, leading to an even earlier delivery at 31 weeks. The first cry was a moment of immense relief. For two weeks, the baby progressed beautifully, weaning off breathing support and thriving on full feeds. Then, a sudden, life-threatening complication emerged: Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a serious intestinal infection common in premature infants. Thanks to prompt treatment with bowel rest and antibiotics, the baby made a remarkable recovery and was discharged after a month in our care, also weighing a robust 1.8 kg.

The parallel stories of these two mothers underscore a critical message: early registration of pregnancy and consistent antenatal care are vital for the early detection of conditions like high blood pressure, which can be a sign of pre-eclampsiaโ€”a dangerous complication for both mother and child. Close follow-up with Obstetricians and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists is needed in such cases. To combat this, the Ministry of Health has launched a new initiative in 2024, whereby women who are at high risk of developing pre-eclampsia are started on low-dose Aspirin to help prevent pre-eclampsia, offering new hope for safer pregnancies.

๐Š๐š๐ง๐ ๐š๐ซ๐จ๐จ ๐Œ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ (๐š๐ง๐ ๐…๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ) ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐ž - ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐›๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐Ÿ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ข๐ซ ๐›๐š๐›๐ฒ!When 46-year-old Pema Choden discovered...
19/10/2025

๐Š๐š๐ง๐ ๐š๐ซ๐จ๐จ ๐Œ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ (๐š๐ง๐ ๐…๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ) ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐ž - ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐›๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐Ÿ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ข๐ซ ๐›๐š๐›๐ฒ!

When 46-year-old Pema Choden discovered she was expecting her eighth child, she was filled with apprehension. Already dealing with high blood pressure, her worst fears were realized upon learning she had developed pre-eclampsiaโ€”a dangerous pregnancy complicationโ€”and that her baby was suffering from Fetal Growth Restriction, which meant her baby was not growing as expected.

Facing a critical decision, the Fetal Medicine Specialists and Obstetricians determined that a preterm delivery at 33 weeks was the only way to save the baby's life. Born weighing a mere 1.1 kilograms, the tiny newborn faced an uphill battle.

Yet, from this fragile beginning emerged a story of remarkable resilience and a parent's powerful instinct. Just three days after birth, Pema's husband began practicing Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), holding the baby skin-to-skin for 12-15 hours each day. He became a steadfast believer in its healing power, and the results were extraordinary.

Thanks to this continuous KMC, the baby was weaned off significant breathing support within a week and was on full feeds by day ten. Most astonishingly, she gained an astounding 700 grams in just six weeks, confidently reaching the discharge weight of 1.8 kg.

KMC is far more than just comfort; it is a lifeline. It stabilizes breathing and heart rate, aids digestion and weight gain, protects against infection, and fosters a deep, nurturing bond between parent and child. Recognized as the best form of developmentally supportive care, KMC has been linked to long-term benefits including larger brain volume, higher IQ, and better development of vision and hearing. It is the greatest gift parents can give their preterm baby.

We wish this beautiful family a healthy and happy future and extend our heartfelt congratulations on their successful journey. In a touching gesture of gratitude, the parents have donated newborn diapers for our KMC Ward, for which we are profoundly thankful.

๐€ ๐“๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐…๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ฐ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐Ž๐ง๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Ž๐ฎ๐ซ ๐Ž๐ฐ๐ง!Last week, we celebrated a moment of immense joy and resilience as we discharge...
19/10/2025

๐€ ๐“๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐…๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ฐ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐Ž๐ง๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Ž๐ฎ๐ซ ๐Ž๐ฐ๐ง!

Last week, we celebrated a moment of immense joy and resilience as we discharged Ana Kezang Pema and her daughter from our care. After a strenuous 88-day journey in the NICU and Neonate Ward, this brave duo finally headed home.

Ana Kezang is more than a patient; she is a cherished member of our hospital family, a janitor in the very NICU that cared for her newborn. Her last child, also a daughter, was also born prematurely and stayed in the NICU for almost 2 months.

This pregnancy, when she went into preterm labor at just 27 weeks, her worst fears were realized. Her daughter entered the world weighing a mere 920 grams and required immediate, extensive resuscitation and surfactant for her premature lungs.

The path forward was arduous. Her baby faced nearly every challenge of extreme prematurity: fragile lungs requiring a ventilator, CPAP, and 85 days of oxygen support, as well as battles with apnea, a serious intestinal infection (NEC), a heart condition (PDA), anemia, jaundice, and hypoglycemia.

Yet, against these staggering odds, the tiny infant demonstrated incredible strength, matched only by the immense resilience of her mother. Ana Kezang spent nearly every waking hour at her daughter's side, providing meticulous care and nurturing kangaroo care, all while managing her responsibilities at home with her older children.

We are in awe of their phenomenal journey. Today, we don't just say goodbye; we salute their courage and wish them a future filled with health and happiness.

๐€ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ-๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง!We recently celebrated the graduation of another tiny preemie after a nearly two-month stay in our c...
19/10/2025

๐€ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ-๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง!

We recently celebrated the graduation of another tiny preemie after a nearly two-month stay in our care. Her story began when her mother, Yangchen, developed HELLP syndromeโ€” a severe form of pre-eclampsia where uncontrollable high blood pressure threatens the mother's liver, brain, and blood. To save Yangchen's life, the difficult decision was made to deliver her baby at just 28 weeks.

The baby was born lifeless and required five minutes of extensive resuscitation before she was stabilized. Weighing a mere 860 grams, she initially progressed well: after a week of breathing support and four days of IV fluids, she was breathing on her own and taking full feeds. However, at three weeks old, she faced a setback, requiring another month of oxygen support before she could finally breathe independently.

Throughout this rollercoaster journey, her parents were unwavering partners. They performed Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for up to 10-12 hours daily, understanding that this skin-to-skin contact was vital for stabilizing her condition and promoting her brain development.

While this discharge is a major milestone, the journey isn't over. Until she completes her initial vaccinations over the next three months, she remains at risk for infections like bronchiolitis and pneumonia, as well as other prematurity-related complications. She will be followed up in our High-Risk Newborn Follow-up Clinic will monitor her progress every few months until she reaches two years of age.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to this resilient baby and her incredible parents. They have navigated an immensely challenging path, and we wish them a future filled with health and happiness.

๐€ ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค: ๐’๐š๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐š๐›๐ฒ ๐“๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐“๐ข๐ฆ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งBasic neonatal care knowledge is vi...
01/10/2025

๐€ ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค: ๐’๐š๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐š๐›๐ฒ ๐“๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐“๐ข๐ฆ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

Basic neonatal care knowledge is vital for peripheral healthcare workers, as they are often the first and only point of contact for newborns in rural and underserved areas. This foundational understanding empowers them to conduct essential immediate care, promote breastfeeding, maintain warmth, and identify critical danger signs like respiratory distress, hypothermia, or severe infection. Their ability to provide simple resuscitation, manage minor ailments, and promptly refer complicated cases can drastically reduce neonatal mortality and prevent long-term disabilities.

We bring you once such example today!

When Dechen, a first-time mother from Dagana, went into preterm labour at 33 weeks, she and her husband feared the worst. They rushed to Drukjeygang Hospital, where she delivered a baby weighing just 1.9 kg. The newborn showed no signs of life at birth, prompting the medical team to immediately begin resuscitation. After two critical minutes, their efforts were rewarded with the baby's faint cry, though the infant was hypothermic and struggling to breathe.

Faced with the challenge of providing advanced neonatal care in a 10-bed hospital, the team acted swiftly and resourcefully. In close consultation with Neonatologist at JDWNRH, they initiated a comprehensive stabilization plan: they placed the baby in kangaroo care on the mother, administered oxygen, started an IV line for fluids and warmth, and activated the Bhutan Emergency Aeromedical Retrieval (BEAR) service.

In a remarkable demonstration of continuity of care, the baby was transported in the kangaroo position directly from the delivery room in Drukjeygang to our NICU. This ensured the infant arrived warm, with normal blood sugar, and only mild respiratory distress.

Upon admission to our NICU, the baby required just three days of breathing support and five days of prophylactic antibiotics. Thanks to this coordinated effort and the parents' unwavering dedication to kangaroo careโ€”sometimes for over 15 hours a dayโ€”the baby needed only minimal medical support. After 18 days, the infant was discharged as a healthy 2.1 kg baby, a testament to the power of teamwork and simple, evidence-based interventions.

๐‡๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ข๐ซ ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ!Our Neonatal Ward has been emptying rapidly in the last few days due to successive discharg...
20/09/2025

๐‡๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ข๐ซ ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ!

Our Neonatal Ward has been emptying rapidly in the last few days due to successive discharges of our preterm and high-risk neonates.

1. Chali Maya (in white and pink striped shirt) developed a serious complication during pregnancy - pre-eclampsia - which shot up her blood pressure uncontrollably until premature birth was the only way to save her life. Her baby was born at 33+6 weeks weighing 1.36 kg. Due to immature lungs baby had breathing difficulty which was managed with CPAP breathing support. But when baby's condition worsened in the 2nd week we found that the baby had 2 holes in the heart (atrial and ventricular septal defects) and an extra blood vessel (PDA) along with life-threatening infection (sepsis & meningitis). After battling all those conditions, baby went home at 6 weeks with a healthy weight of 1.8 kg.

2. Phub Dem's baby (held by father, Phub Dem not in picture) had a difficult birth and required extensive resuscitation in the delivery room, and went on to require 5 days of ventilation in the NICU. Due to stretch on the nerves in the neck during delivery, baby has paralysis of the left arm (Erb's palsy), and is undergoing physiotherapy by parents. We were finally able to send the baby home at 3 weeks, but the baby will require close neurodevelopmental/vision/hearing follow-up and physiotherapy to prevent complications later on in life.

3. Leki Dema (pink shirt) had a life-threatening infection and shock during her pregnancy due to which she underwent a preterm delivery to save herself and her baby at 31+2 weeks, and her baby weighed only 1.53 kg. Baby had immature lungs requiring ventilator support for 2 days which later went on to become chronic lung disease of prematurity. We sent her home after 6 weeks hospital stay with a healthy weight of 2.23 kg.

Seeing parents take their babies home after a long and difficult journey through pregnancy, childbirth and NICU stay, fills us with pride, gratification and immense satisfaction. We salute the incredible resilience of the parents of these tiny and sick babies, and the babies themselves who have been battling for their lives since day one.

๐…๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐“๐ก๐ž๐ž ๐–๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ!We were privileged to send home another pair of preterm babies few days ago:1. Sangay Lhamo's baby (in gr...
14/09/2025

๐…๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐“๐ก๐ž๐ž ๐–๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ!

We were privileged to send home another pair of preterm babies few days ago:

1. Sangay Lhamo's baby (in green blanket) was born at 32 weeks and weighed only 1.62 kg at birth. A first-time mother, Sangay had suddenly felt preterm contractions necessitating a premature delivery. The baby had a rocky start after delivery, requiring a full minute of resuscitation before crying. After being treated for prematurity-related lung disease, sepsis, cord infection, oral thrush and jaundice, we sent him home after 27 days of hospital stay at a healthy weight of 1.82 kg.

2. Jigme Wangmo (baby in grey blanket) was not aware that she was pregnant since she was on injectable contraceptives. Being a third-time mother she gave birth at her home in Paro soon after labour pain started. The baby was stabilized at Paro hospital and referred to JDWNRH. The baby was approximately at 32-34 weeks of gestation and weighed 1.65 kg. Apart from treatment for sepsis, jaundice and low blood sugar, baby was remarkably stable even without oxygen support. We sent her home after 20 days of hospital stay with healthy weight of 1.86 kg.

Babies of both parents took great care of their tiny babies, regularly doing kangaroo care for more than 12 hours in a day, which helped their baby become more stable, digest milk better, and gain weight faster. Kangaroo care also helps babies to have better brain development which results in higher IQ in later life.

We encourage all women in reproductive age to register their pregnancy early, avail all the 8 recommended pregnancy check-up visits, deliver in a hospital, breastfeed their baby within an hour of birth, and complete all the recommended postnatal checkups for both mother and baby.

* Picture taken with permission of parents.

๐€๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ž!We had a batch of preterm babies headed home yesterday after their NICU and Neonata...
07/09/2025

๐€๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ž!

We had a batch of preterm babies headed home yesterday after their NICU and Neonatal Ward sojourn. The parents were beaming with smiles to finally be able to take their babies home.

1. Nima Lhamo (baby in lime green blanket) had catastrophic bleeding which endangered herself and her unborn baby, leading to the preterm birth at 31+3 weeks and weighed only 1.64 kg. Her baby's lungs were too immature to let her breathe on her own, and she required ventilation and surfactant treatment. The parents took great care of their baby during the 28 days in hospital and took their baby home with a healthy weight of 2.26 kg.

2. Phurpa Lhamo had pre-eclampsia and premature membrane rupture leading to premature delivery at 34 weeks at Phuntsholing hospital and weighed only 1.46 kg. The baby was referred to JDWNRH the next day for breathing complications resulting from immature lungs, and required ventilation for 2 days and oxygen support till Day 27. Baby was also found to have sepsis, a common complication in preterm babies, requiring antibiotics for 2 weeks. In between baby developed kidney issues, electrolyte imbalance and jaundice. He went home after 1 month of hospital stay with a healthy weight of 1.86 kg.

3. Passang Dema and her husband (twin babies in brown blankets) were delighted to hear that they were expecting twins. However, their joy was short-lived when the Fetal Medicine Specialists revealed to them that the twins were sharing a placenta with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a known complication of monochorionic twins. Due to this complication the twins had to be delivered at 32 weeks. The first twin (donor twin) weighed only 1.2 kg, and required extensive resuscitation at birth, while the second twin (recipient twin) weighed 1.65 kg. Both twins developed breathing difficulties due to their immature lungs and went on to have chronic lung disease of prematurity. They stayed for 36 days and went home with healthy weights of 1.98 and 2.53 kg respectively.

All these preterm babies greatly benefited from having their parents (and sometimes aunties and grandmothers) by their side throughout their NICU journey, as they literally fought through every breath. The availability of mother's milk, the warmth of parents' kangaroo care, and the collective efforts of our NICU and Neonate Ward team ensured their successful outcome. We wish the babies a healthy future, and their parents a happy parenthood.

๐‘ป๐’†๐’‚๐’Ž ๐‘พ๐’๐’“๐’Œ ๐‘ด๐’‚๐’Œ๐’†๐’” ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ซ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’Ž ๐‘พ๐’๐’“๐’Œ!

Vitamin D3 for your infants
07/09/2025

Vitamin D3 for your infants

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