A baby boy, born at only 22 weeks gestation and weighing less than a pound, has overcome a 20% chance of survival and celebrated his first Christmas at home.
On Christmas Eve in 2022, mum Sharni Saravanan was rushed to hospital after experiencing bleeding in her pregnancy. Despite these unexpected Christmas health concerns, Sharni and her husband, Karthik Viswanathan, were reassured by doctors that both mum and her developing baby were doing well.
Despite these reassurances, at a routine check-up in the new year, an ultrasound revealed that Sharni had a condition that increased her risk of going into labour prematurely. Although she was given the recommended treatment to delay labour, Sharni’s waters broke just three weeks later and her little boy, Heeran Karsha, was born.
The tiny baby arrived at 22 weeks, weighing less than a pound and measuring just 10.8 inches long. Heeran’s dad, Karthik, recalls how his little boy seemed to display encouraging signs.
“Despite a 20% chance of survival, our baby exhibited strength and resilience” he said.
Medical team go above and beyond for “rockstar” premmie
Dr Ray Stetson, a paediatrician and neonatologist who helped care for Heeran in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) said “Infants like Heeran require intensive care from a large multidisciplinary team to provide lifesaving interventions”.
Heeran’s mum remembers how the NICU team were so attentive to her and her tiny baby boy. She said “A few of the nurses would check up on Heeran during the night shifts even if they weren’t assigned to him. They also shared a lot of tips during the care time, which gave both of us a lot of confidence”.
The team even marked his big milestones, such as finishing his first bottle. Another member of the neonatal team, Dr Bendel-Stenzel, said that Heeran was a “rockstar [premmie] beating the odds and rising in the face of adversity with his loving and supportive parents”.
Leaving the NICU after 110 days means first Christmas at home
Heeran’s parents moved home to be nearer to their boy’s care team and, after 110 days in the NICU, he was able to join them in their new home. The hospital shared a photo of Heeran dressed in a special Christmas outfit to celebrate his first Christmas.
Dr Christopher Colby, one of the neonatologists at the hospital where Heeran was treated, said “Fifty years ago, premature babies born at 35 weeks might not have lived past a few days. Now, thanks to new technology and scientific discoveries, even the smallest babies, born as early as 22 weeks, have a chance of surviving with an optimistic prognosis for their developmental outcomes”.
A 2008 study looking at survival rates for a neonatal intensive care unit in London found that neonatal survival rates at 22 and 23 weeks gestation had improved over time. In 1981-85, no babies who were born at these gestational ages survived to discharge. However, by 1986-90, 19% did and this increased to 54% in the period 1996-2000.
In the decade to 2019 alone, the survival rate for extremely premature babies born at 23 weeks doubled, prompting new guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) that enables doctors to intervene to save premature babies from 22 weeks gestation. The previous clinical guidance, drafted in 2008, set the standard that babies who were born before 23 weeks gestation should not be resuscitated.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Wow. What an amazing tale of two Christmases! How wonderful that baby Heeran, born so early, has survived and is meeting big milestones. We’re delighted that he was able to be home with his family to celebrate Christmas. Such heartwarming stories are a testament to such committed medical teams and the astounding resilience of babies like Heeran, born at only 22 weeks”.
