In Conversation with Dr. Vishnuvardhan Reddy on World Prematurity Day – Cradle Neonatal Doctors

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In Conversation with Dr. Vishnuvardhan Reddy on
World Prematurity Day Cradle Neonatal Doctors
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Dr. Vishnuvardhan Reddy Meedimale is a consultant
Paediatrician in Apollo Cradle, Kondapur,
Hyderabad. He has practiced in India and UK for
the past 21 years. He is well-verse with the
values and sentiments of both cultures as well as
the Western standards which can be adapted to our
requirement. He is an active member of various
associations in his field like Royal College of
Paediatrics and Child Health, UK, Member Of Royal
College Of Physicians Ireland, Indian Academy of
Paediatrics (IAP). He specializes in Neonatal
Care and is sought after for his successful
treatment and expertise in the field. On the
occasion of World Prematurity Day, he presents us
insights into the world of Neonatal Care, and
shares his stories of spreading happiness and joy.
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1.
Why did you choose this practice? What is it like?
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Neonatal intensive care medicine gives me an
opportunity to continue caring for critically ill
neonates from the full range of sub-specialties.
The attention to detail in each and every aspect
of patient care attracts me towards neonatal
intensive care. I cant think of a more
rewarding or more challenging opportunity-than
providing life-saving care for new born babies-
who are at a great social and medical
disadvantage because they are almost entirely
dependent on others to care for them. I listen
to parents concerns sympathetically and involve
them proactively in the management of their
babys health. Parents often appreciate my
ability to explain them their babys health
status in simple and an understandable manner.
This engages them positively in their progress
and development.
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2.
What is the best part of your job?
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Neonatal intensive care is a relatively
new,exciting and growing specialty. It gives me
an opportunity to be part of dedicated team of
highly trained professionals.  I am a
compassionate person and I enjoy my work. Showing
empathy, being sympathetic and enthusiasm to gain
further knowledge, good communication abilities
and sound clinical skills are few of the
attributes that help me continue a successful
career in Neonatal intensive care.
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3.
Whats the biggest challenge youve faced?
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The biggest challenge I face is when the parents
have given up on their baby, but I keep insisting
on continuing the intensive care support. This is
an additional challenge as I have to provide
optimum medical care to the baby- keeping in mind
the financial strain on the parents. There is a
lot of pressure to be successful in the case,
which is not always guaranteed in an intensive
care set up. I can remember on two occasions I
got into this situation. In the first, there was
a full term baby who had severe meconium
aspiration syndrome (respiratory problem) which
was not improving with conventional ventilation.
There was a likelihood of benefitting the baby
with an ECMO support. But parents were not keen
on this, in view of the high costs of the
treatment, as theywere hesitant about the
outcome. I had several lengthy discussions with
the parents and convinced them for an ECMO
support. I visited the baby on a regular basis
and provided expert medical care, which gave them
fruitful dividends.
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The second case was of premature twins. One of
the twins had antenatal diagnosed congenital
diaphragmatic hernia. As the parents were already
counseled by their previous doctor and had made
up their mind to give up on that twin, and
instead, save the other healthy twin. I had to
convince them to still try and save both their
babies. With our team effort both the twins are
doing well, and have celebrated their first
birthday without any sequela.
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4.
Can you share a case study on a premature baby
that you have handled at Apollo Cradle?
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Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a common
birth defect occurring in about 1 in every 3000
live births. It is commonly associated with other
birth defects mainly inadequate development of
lungs and cardiac defects. It is diagnosed
antenatally during a routine anomaly scan, around
the 18th to 23rd week of pregnancy or immediately
after birth. A 28 year old pregnant mother was
admitted at Apollo Cradle, Kondapur with
antenatal diagnosis of Pre-term Twin pregnancy
with one twin diagnosed with CDH. We at Apollo
Cradle have a fully equipped NICU with the
facility to provide High Frequency Oscillatory
(HFO) Ventilation support which is very vital in
Pre-term/Pulmonary hypoplasia/RDS/PPHN, as was
the case here. A pediatric surgeon is also
available round the clock to attend to surgeries.
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Find Neonatologist Specialist Of Apollo Cradle

• Sometimes, babies are born with a birth defect or
  illness that requires specialised care, or they
  may be born before the due date, giving them less
  time to develop in the womb. In that case,
  important organs like the baby's heart, lungs,
  stomach or their metabolism may not be developed
  enough to function without special help. Although
  your paediatrician can solve most health problems
  of newborns, a Neonatologist is trained
  specifically to handle the most complex and
  high-risk situations.
• www.apollocradle.com