Doctors yesterday said bullet-hit baby Suraiya Begum was still in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and her mother was breastfeeding her at intervals of two hours.
The infant was transferred to the NICU on Friday, the same day her mother was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s Ward 212.
Doctors said Suriaya was taken to the NICU for better treatment as her chance of developing infections increased after operation.
Dr Kaniz Hasina, paediatrics department’s associate professor who had been overseeing Suraiya’s treatment since she arrived at the hospital, said doctors had regularly held meetings to discuss the best treatment the baby could be given.
“Her condition improved after she met her mother. The mother was allowed to breastfeed her in every two hours.
“When the child was born, she weighed a little over 2kg. A newborn baby’s weight can decrease for up to two weeks after the birth but Suraiya is losing weight even 17 days after she came into the world,” the doctor said.
She said the weight loss could be explained by Suraiya’s premature birth.
The infant suffered injuries when her eight-month pregnant mother was shot in the abdomen during a Jubo League factional clash on July 23 in Magura.
The bullet pierced through the unborn baby’s right shoulder and damaged her right eye.
She was born after a three-hour operation at Magura General Hospital.