A routine childbirth took a dangerous turn at a hospital in Mehsana when a newborn, delivered via caesarean section, failed to cry and experienced cyanosis (turned blue).
Weighing 2.4kg, the infant’s deteriorating health necessitated immediate placement on a ventilator. In a race against time to save the baby’s life, doctors transferred the newborn to a tertiary neonatal hospital in Ahmedabad.
Initially presumed to be a case of birth asphyxiation, the medical team made a surprising discovery – the newborn’s critical condition was attributed to alarmingly high levels of nicotine in the bloodstream, stemming from the mother’s tobacco addiction.
The child’s nicotine levels were found to be 3000 percent above the permissible levels for adults, measuring 60 ng/ml.
Expressing regret, the mother acknowledged her habit’s potential harm, stating, “In our village, both men and women regularly consume tobacco. I started consuming tobacco when I was 15. I never realized that the habit could jeopardize my child’s health.” The child’s father, who is also addicted to “mawa,” pledged to quit the habit, acknowledging the risks it poses to his family’s well-being.
Dr. Ashish Mehta, a senior neonatologist involved in the case, described the situation, saying, “When the child came to us, he appeared to be a healthy newborn who had slipped into a coma. Although initially diagnosed with birth asphyxia, his symptoms deviated from the norm as he showed no signs of neurological damage.”
To unravel this medical mystery, the medical team delved into the medical history of both the child and mother. They discovered that the mother had unknowingly exposed her fetus to high nicotine levels by frequently consuming tobacco in sachets or raw form, which she purchased from local pan shops.
Unaware of the danger it posed to her unborn child, she chewed tobacco approximately 10-15 times a day. Gujarat, recognized as the epicenter of oral cancer, grapples with the pervasive addiction to chewing tobacco.
According to the National Family Health Survey 5 conducted in 2020, 41 percent of men and 8.7 percent of women in the state consume tobacco. Alarmingly, this addiction now extends to newborns.
After five days of treatment, the child exhibited signs of recovery and was subsequently discharged. Dr. Mehta consulted with international experts who stressed the immense benefits of breastfeeding, advising the mother to refrain from tobacco use while nursing.