After a day of anxiety about the decline of the baby’s condition, doctors yesterday said the bullet-hit newborn was stable as she responded positively to breast milk.
The 8-day-old baby, Suraiya, however was still suffering from fever and jaundice amid risk of blood infection.
Meanwhile, a new medical board consisting of ten specialised doctors had been formed to look after the newborn round-the-clock.
“We want to ensure the best treatment for the child and that is why we have put together an expert board with 10 specialists. We are hopeful of returning the child to her mother soon,” Professor Ashraful Haque Kazal, chief of the child surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Though there were still come complications due to the pre-mature birth, Professor Ashraf said there was nothing major to be worried about.
“She has started to take breast milk. This is a positive sign,” he added.
Along with the eight existing doctors from the previously formed medical team, Assistant Professor Dr Sadika and DMCH burn unit Professor Dr Rayhana Awal would look after Suraiya from now on. They will be supervised by Professor Ashraf and chief of child unit Professor Abid Hossain Mollah.
Dr Kaniz Hasina, paediatric department’s associate professor who had been with the baby since she arrived at DMCH, told the Dhaka Tribune that the child was not vomiting any more.
“Previously she would throw up if we gave her powder milk. But now that we are feeding her breast milk, she has stopped vomiting and responded well,” Dr Kaniz said.
Suraiya is fed 5ml of breast milk through test tube in every two hours, she added.
However, the baby would still need to be in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as she had high jaundice and low count of platelet.
Nazma Begum, the child’s mother who had been in the DMCH for three days now, could not yet meet her daughter as doctors said she was still suffering from some post-caesarian infections.
Contacted, Bachchu Bhuiyan, father of the child, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was able to see the child from time to time.
“She is still at the NICU covered with bandage. We have given breast milk to doctors but I am not sure if she is able to drink it as she is still weak,” he said.
Meanwhile, Magura police arrested two of the accused in the case lodged by Bachchu Bhuiyan on July 25.
The arrestees were identified as Sumon Hossain and Abdus Sobahan. However, Bachchu claimed that the main accused were still not arrested and he was passing days in fear as the culprits threatened his family.