A neonatal expert at Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne has developed an alternative way to treat meconium aspiration, a problem that occurs in newborn babies. A newborn baby at RCH is the first in Australia to undergo this new treatment.
Meconium is a black sticky material that comes from the fetal intestine. It is normally passed in large amounts after birth, until normal bowel actions set in about day 4-5. Meconium is occasionally passed into the amniotic fluid before birth, putting the fetus at risk of inhaling the noxious material into the lung. The disease that results is called meconium aspiration syndrome, which can be very severe, and often require many days of respiratory support on a ventilator in high amounts of oxygen.
Dr Peter Dargaville’s research has led to a new method of treatment that appears to reduce the need for long periods of ventilation and result in a speedier recovery for these babies. The randomized trial recently began at the hospital and Callum underwent this new treatment on March 3.
Callum was born on March 2 with respiratory distress and transferred to the neonatal unit at RCH. Early-onset respiratory distress and meconium staining of the amniotic fluid indicated meconium aspiration sydnrome, and x-rays confirmed this diagnosis.
Babies with this condition are extremely sick and require sedation and long periods on high ventilation with the subsequent possibility of lung damage.
The treatment developed by Dr Dargaville involves cleansing the lungs with a soapy solution, suctioning the fluid out and repeating the cleansing action.
Callum is now doing remarkably well and expected to go home early next week.
This story received the following media coverage:
- ABC TV news in Tasmania
- ABC TV news in Melbourne
- 3RN Melbourne radio news
- ABC statewide radio news
- 774 ABC Melbourne radio news