Born extremely early at only 28 weeks, baby Coralie weighed a tiny 748 grams, with severe restricted growth.
Following a 20 week scan at West Middlesex University Hospital, part of Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, it was discovered that the baby was in the bottom 1% for size at that stage of gestation.
Coralie’s parents – Annie and Arjuna, who is a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at West Middlesex University Hospital – were faced with weeks of uncertainty, with mum Annie transferred to the Trust’s other site with a level 3 neonatal unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital where she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and remained an inpatient on continuous monitoring for two weeks.
Coralie was born on 24 May, almost 3 months ahead of her due date on 15 August, via an emergency C-section with a number of complex medical problems affecting her brain and heart. This meant that she had to spend 75 days in Chelsea’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with many of those in an incubator, as well as undergoing major abdominal surgery by the Paediatric Surgical team.
With exceptional cross-site collaboration across both hospital sites, and care from a multi-disciplinary team, Coralie has now returned home, at 39 weeks old and is doing well weighing 2.2kg.
In the year that the NHS turned 75, this is another example of how the NHS continues to protect patients and ensure the latest and most effective treatments are available, providing life-saving care.
Arjuna, Coralie’s father said:
“Having worked at the Trust for eight years, and having trained in both hospital sites, it is outstanding to see the care provided, now on the other side as a patient. I witnessed a team made up of incredible doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, and many others who all went above and beyond to care for Coralie and provide our family with reassuring updates throughout this fairly traumatic experience for us.
“I am extremely grateful to all who cared for my baby and wife, and so thrilled that we now have them both home, healthy and happy. It is a real testament to the staff at the Trust, who help patients to feel as at ease as possible, and this has inspired me to be an even better doctor for my own patients.”
Vicki Cochrane, Divisional Director of Midwifery and Nursing at the Trust said:
“The work of the fantastic maternity and neonatal teams at our Trust never goes unappreciated, as they really do go the extra mile to care for women, babies and the families in their care.
“I am so pleased we have been able to discharge baby Coralie and see her go home with her family after spending 75 days in our care.”
