BABY Zahlee Currie's life was saved by a radical blood transfusion before she was even born.
Zahlee was near death after contracting the parvo virus in her mother's womb and doctors say they've never seen a baby so sick and so tiny, survive.
The 21-week-old foetus was given a rare in-utero blood transfusion at the Royal Women's Hospital.
Obstetrician Ricardo Palma-Dias said the virus caused severe anaemia in Zahlee. The virus destroys bone marrow, which produces red blood cells.
Her haemoglobin count was 3.4 when it should have been above 11, Dr Palma-Dias said.
"Had the transfusion been done much later the baby would have died," he said.
The alarm was raised by Warrnambool obstetrician Anthony Woodward after seeing mother Rachael Fellows' 20-week scan.
Dr Woodward noticed the baby's tummy was slightly swollen and ordered tests.
While the virus was common, it only rarely affected a foetus, because most adults were immune to it, having already had it.
The baby's condition rapidly deteriorated and Dr Woodward sent the Portland mother to Melbourne for treatment.
The virus was confirmed after arrival at the Royal Women's Hospital, where she was treated immediately.
"She came in with a baby that was very sick ... swollen, with fluid everywhere," Dr Palma-Dias said.
The 400g foetus had heart failure; fluid around the heart, liver and bowel; in the stomach; and an enlarged liver, he said.
Dr Palma-Dias and his team transfused 25ml of blood via a needle through Ms Fellows' belly into the umbilical cord, which went straight into the baby's bloodstream.
Another 15ml was put into the baby's abdomen, to be slowly released over the following weeks.
The baby's haemoglobin count rose to 12.1, and nine days after the risky procedure there were no signs of problems.
Haematologist Helen Savoia said fewer than one of these procedures were performed for parvo virus at the hospital each year.
Ms Fellows, a mother of three, believed she caught the virus from her six-year-old son.
"It was very scary - from having a routine ultrasound, to then getting put into hospital and having a blood transfusion," she said.
"It was a very stressful and worrying time, we didn't know what to expect."
Zahlee was born two weeks early and is now a healthy seven-week-old baby.
"She's very, very precious ... to go through that and for her to survive and come out normal is very, very lucky.
"She's started smiling and she's got a little bit of personality - she knows what she wants, when she wants it."
My critique
I am stunted by this news. I realised how tough the survival skill of a human even for an unborn foetus. She shows how determined is she to come to this world and experience her life and how advance the medical field is having now. Also, her mother is strong enough to get through all those complicated and risky treatment to save her daughter. It fully shows the motherly love on their children. Thanks to the mum in the whole world!
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