In Almaty, doctors at the Center for Emergency Pediatric Care performed a complex surgery on a newborn girl, removing a tumor weighing 2 kg, which was half of the baby's body weight, reports the website infohub.kz.
The baby was born on August 18 at 34 weeks of pregnancy with a formation in the sacrococcygeal area. At birth, the girl weighed 4 kg, and the tumor reached 2 kg. This pathology is not malignant at birth, but within the first six months of life it can turn into an oncological disease, so newborns with such a formation are operated on immediately.
In the first hours after birth, a team of neonatal resuscitators and surgeons went to the maternity hospital to transport the child to the Center for Emergency Pediatric Care. The girl was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and began preparation for a major operation. The very next day, doctors performed surgery to remove the tumor.
Samatbek Myrzakhmet, head of the department at the Center for Emergency Pediatric Care, said: "This is a sacrococcygeal teratoma — a tumor consisting of tissues of various origins, including bone and soft tissues, as well as cystic cavities. This was one of the most complex operations in our practice: a neoplasm weighing 2 kg — almost equal to the child's weight. With a total birth weight of 4 kg, exactly half of the weight was the tumor. The operation was successful. Immediately after removal, we performed plastic surgery. The stitches will be invisible, and in the future the baby will not experience any discomfort. The child is being discharged home safely."
The teratoma developed in utero and was diagnosed during a screening at 20 weeks of pregnancy. The couple did everything possible to maintain the pregnancy: they underwent several consultations with surgeons at the Center. Doctors monitored the main health indicators dynamically. At 34 weeks, the baby was born by cesarean section.
The girl's mother, Ayazhan, shared: "This is a long-awaited girl after four boys. At 20 weeks of pregnancy, doctors diagnosed a sacrococcygeal teratoma, and we immediately came for a consultation at the Center. Overall, the pregnancy went well. At 34 weeks, I was admitted to the maternity hospital with abdominal pain, and I immediately had a cesarean section, and we were transferred here with the child. I am very grateful to the doctors of this hospital for saving my daughter. I saw the child after birth, saw this huge tumor. Thank you to everyone who participated in the treatment of my baby."
It is noted that sacrococcygeal teratoma is the most common tumor in newborns. It forms in the womb and can grow with the baby, in some cases leading to severe complications and disruption of vital organs. In this case, the formation grew to an impressive size.
Since the beginning of the year, 96 children have been transferred to the neonatal department of the Center for Emergency Pediatric Care in Almaty, 72 of whom required surgical intervention. The development of congenital defects can be influenced by various internal and external factors, including heredity, infections, and other effects.