Baby with rare birth defect dies

Mbeya Kijana (right), mother of baby Islam Saidi who died on Tuesday night, is consoled by Mombasa County Executive for Health Binti Omar, Wednesday. Islam was born with a rare birth defect. [Photo: Maarufu Mohamed/Standard]

Mombasa, Kenya: Baby Islam Saidi, who has been in the Press following corrective surgery for a blocked anal passage and who was said to be recovering died on Tuesday night from complications brought about by the birth defect.

Islam was born at the Coast Provincial General Hospital and discharged on the same day after a midwife assured his mother that he was fine.

“The baby cried, indicating that he was normal and all his limbs were okay. We were therefore discharged,” his mother, Mbeya Kijana, told the Press early this week when Islam was rushed to hospital after the defect was discovered at home.

Wednesday, Mbeya was devastated and could not speak to the Press but Bahati Mgazija, a relative who spoke on her behalf, admitted that the family was pleased with efforts by the hospital to save the child’s life when the family realised he was unwell.

The infant was returned to the hospital after his parents realised he could not pass solid waste due to a blocked anal passage.

Doctors immediately diagnosed the condition, also known as anorecto malformation, and an emergency operation was conducted, said hospital chief administrator Peter Aseyo Mwero.

“Hardly a week passes without the hospital dealing with a case like that,” Dr Mwero said Wednesday.

The hospital later said the baby died due to associated congenital abnormalities.

“These include the heart, kidney, oesophagus, spine and limbs,” said the doctor.

During the baby’s four-day treatment, surgeons performed a colostomy, a surgical procedure to create an opening in the large intestine as an alternative channel to allow stool out of the body.

The medics said that was the standard procedure for such a condition and they were in the process of dealing with other complications when the baby died. The hospital said Islam had fought bravely and that surgeons had done their best under the circumstances, suggesting the medical workers’ boycott did not compromise the operation.

“The child was in ICU where we have adequate staff. Our emergency ward has always been in operation contrary to reports by the Press,” said Dr Mwero while dismissing claims that Islam’s defect was initially neglected.

He declined to explain why mother and baby were discharged after delivery without medics discovering the anomaly.