A three-day-old baby boy in Dong Thap was found to be pale with digestive fluid in his nose and mouth. Despite efforts by doctors to resuscitate him using vasopressors, the baby did not survive. The Dong Thap Health Department held a press conference on April 19 to provide initial information about the incident after the family posted reaction videos on social media.
The 22-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to Dong Thap Military and Civilian Hospital on April 15. She gave birth to a 2.8 kg boy who was breech and experienced delayed labor. The mother and child were monitored at the hospital following a successful operation.
A video shared by the family on social media revealed that they had reported the baby’s fever and vomiting to the doctor twice on April 18. Despite a mild fever and normal blood oxygen levels, the doctor instructed the family to monitor the baby closely. However, the grandmother later rushed the baby to the emergency room when she noticed he was pale.
Doctor Duong Quoc Dinh, Director of Dong Thap Military and Civilian Hospital, mentioned that the baby had cardiac arrest and stopped breathing upon arrival at the hospital. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, the baby did not show any improvement. The Department of Health in Dong Thap concluded that the baby’s death was likely due to acute respiratory failure caused by infant digestive fluid aspiration syndrome.
The health sector in Dong Thap plans to reorganize and provide additional training on obstetric emergencies and postpartum care to prevent similar incidents in the future. They also aim to increase awareness among the public about essential care for newborn children to reduce risks during the first 28 days of life.