Beaming with happiness. Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu with their twins and Dr Cheng Tai Kin (right)We are very
ormally, the birth of a first child would be a joyous event, and for Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu
impressed by
who were expecting not one but two babies - a pair of twins, their joy and pride knew no bounds. However for
the professionalism
Mrs Tran, her pregnancy turned out to be an eventful one - at just 29 weeks and four days after conceiving
of the doctors
the babies through an in-vitro fertilisation programme, she discovered that her amniotic sac was leaking fluid
and nurses at
and she had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency Caesarean delivery, resulting in her twin
Parkway East Hospital.
boys being born nine weeks premature in Vietnam. Thank you all
Both babies - Tran Duc Minh and Tran Duc Dung, were fighting for survival at birth. Weighing between 1.2kg
for taking care of
and 1.3kg, they were very weak as some of their organs, especially the lungs, were not fully developed.
our babies.
On the third day of their life, they had to be put on respiratory machines as they were grasping for
their breath. Both babies had Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Baby Dung's was more severe and
he needed to be intubated. Both Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu were helpless and could only watch them from afar struggling for their lives. They were told by their paediatrician that nothing much could be done, and their chances of survivial was less than 10 percent.
Fortunately, through the help of another doctor, they learnt that there was a similar case that had been flown to Singapore and successfully treated two years ago. After much research and serious deliberations, Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu finally decided to fly the twins over to Singapore’s Parkway East Hospital for medical treatment. Special arrangement was made for the twins to be evacuated on 21 September 2009, with the assistance and company of an experienced team of medical staff - comprising two paediatricians, Dr Cheng Tai Kin and Dr Lim Kwang Hsien and two nurses - from Parkway East Hospital.
Baby Minh needed ventilatory support through
Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu are very grateful to Dr Cheng
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the air
and the nurses who took great care of the twins. “We
ambulance transfer; while Baby Dung who had the
are very impressed by the professionalism of the
more severe respiratory disease needed to be
doctors and nurses at Parkway East Hospital for
re-intubated by Dr Cheng and ventilated in the hospital
taking care of our babies. Dr Cheng provided peace of
prior to the four-hour flight in the air ambulance to
mind to us in our (lowest) times of need - besides
patiently explaining Minh and Dung’s conditions and providing comfort during the three-month period, he
In Singapore, both babies were immediately placed on
also shared with us the estimated bill size and length
ventilator support, and underwent numerous rounds of
of their stay in the hospital. The nurses were very
tests. They were eventually diagnosed to be suffering
friendly and helpful when we needed help in tending to
from Apnoea of Prematurity (AOP). This results in pauses
our babies. We were lucky too to have a good
in breathing that can last 20 seconds or more. Caused
interpreter who was constantly around to communicate
by immature respiratory centres in the brain (the brain
our needs to the doctor and nurses,” shares a grateful
is not able to remind the lungs to breathe on a regular
basis), apnoea is a very common problem in babies born early, said the twins’ paediatrician, Dr Cheng Tai Kin. Warded in the Neonatology Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for almost three months, the twins were put on oral caffeine as a respiratory stimulant, and special nutrition containing vitamins and iron supplements were prescribed. Besides AOP, both babies also had small Persistent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) that closed spontaneously.
Under the expert care and close supervision of Dr Cheng and the nurses in the NICU, both the babies’ health improved significantly, and so did their appetite. From being severely underweight, they have grown to a healthy weight of 3.27kg and 2.87kg respectively. “They are able to drink (milk) better now, and their mother can fully breastfeed them to give them the necessary nutrients,” says Dr Cheng. He adds that the twins will need regular follow-ups for several years to monitor their growth and development, as well as their eyesight and hearing after they return to Vietnam.
24-Hour Helpline: (65) 6735 5000 Fax: (65) 6732 6733 • Email: ppac@parkway.sg • Website: www.ppac.sg
Our ParkwayHealth Patient Assistance Centre (PPAC) provides a seamless and one-stop 24-hour service to our patients, connecting them to a comprehensive choice of medical services and doctors across ParkwayHealth's hospitals. Gleneagles Hospital • Mount Elizabeth Hospital • Parkway East Hospital
This patient’s story may not be typical. Individual symptoms, situations and circumstances vary and response to therapy is not always the same. Please consult your physician for a complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, and other important medical information.
Discovery of Superior Enzymes by Directeddirected evolution ´ enzymes ´ gene technology ´ molecular evolution ´ mutagenesis1. IntroductionNatural selection has created optimal catalysts that exhibit theiridentify individuals showing the desired properties, either byconvincing performance even with a number of sometimesselection or by screening (Figure 1). After each round, the genescount
Management of Severe Agitation Key Points 1. The management of the severely agitated or violent patient embraces psychological, physical and pharmacological approaches. 2. Psychological methods focus on controlling the environment through the establishment of communication and trust. 3. Physical measures involve show of force and physical restraint. Physical restrain
Beaming with happiness. Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu with their twins and Dr Cheng Tai Kin (right)
We are very
Baby Minh needed ventilatory support through
Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu are very grateful to Dr Cheng
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the air
and the nurses who took great care of the twins. “We
ambulance transfer; while Baby Dung who had the
are very impressed by the professionalism of the
more severe respiratory disease needed to be
doctors and nurses at Parkway East Hospital for
re-intubated by Dr Cheng and ventilated in the hospital
taking care of our babies. Dr Cheng provided peace of
prior to the four-hour flight in the air ambulance to
mind to us in our (lowest) times of need - besides
patiently explaining Minh and Dung’s conditions and providing comfort during the three-month period, he
In Singapore, both babies were immediately placed on
also shared with us the estimated bill size and length
ventilator support, and underwent numerous rounds of
of their stay in the hospital. The nurses were very
tests. They were eventually diagnosed to be suffering
friendly and helpful when we needed help in tending to
from Apnoea of Prematurity (AOP). This results in pauses
our babies. We were lucky too to have a good
in breathing that can last 20 seconds or more. Caused
interpreter who was constantly around to communicate
by immature respiratory centres in the brain (the brain
our needs to the doctor and nurses,” shares a grateful
is not able to remind the lungs to breathe on a regular
basis), apnoea is a very common problem in babies born early, said the twins’ paediatrician, Dr Cheng Tai Kin. Warded in the Neonatology Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for almost three months, the twins were put on oral caffeine as a respiratory stimulant, and special nutrition containing vitamins and iron supplements were prescribed. Besides AOP, both babies also had small Persistent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) that closed spontaneously.