Bhopal: 13-month old Ruhaan from Gairatganj, Bhopal had reached the Pediatric OPD of AIIMS Bhopal due to high fever and frequent vomiting. The family told the doctor of the department that the child has this problem for the last two months. During examination of the child, his weight was found to be only 5 kg and length was 73 cm. seeing this, the doctors immediately admitted him to the smart unit. During the examination here, problems like severe malnutrition, lung TB and anemia were found. The situation was so serious that if the child did not get proper treatment, he could have died.
Under the guidance of Professor (Dr.) Ajai Singh, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal, the doctors of the Pediatric Department successfully overcame the challenge of difficult treatment of the child. Due to which not only the child’s life could be saved but his weight and height also increased in just three months. Now he is developing like normal children.
The family reached AIIMS Bhopal on 8 December 2023 with 13-month-old Ruhaan. During this time it was seen that Ruhaan’s weight was 5.165 kg and height was 73 cm. His mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) was recorded as 8.1 cm and hemoglobin level was found to be 8.26.
TB treatment was done first
The child was first given medicine to control pulmonary TB. After being admitted for about 15 days, the child’s weight had become 5 kg 939 grams. Besides, hemoglobin level was also better than before. From which it became clear that pulmonary TB was the main cause of the disease in the child.
With treatment at the Smart Unit, Ruhaan’s condition gradually improved and he achieved his target weight of 5.939 kg within 15 days. During this time his family members were also given information about proper eating habits and cleanliness. When the child was discharged after 15 days, his weight was 6.10 kg and MUAC was 8.9 cm.
Family took proper care
Strict adherence to nutritional care by the family led to remarkable improvements in Ruhaan. When he came for the first follow up, his weight was 7.040 kg and he was already very playful. Similarly, in the second follow up, his weight was 7.500 kg, in the third time it was 8 kg and in the fourth time it was 8.200 kg.
The child’s growth and development path is targeted by the smart unit. Under which the target of children’s height is 73 cm and weight is more than 12.6 kg. This success story speaks to the effectiveness of integrated medical and nutritional interventions.
