Death of infants is comparatively high in India due to premature birth, diseases affecting during pregnancy period, incompatibility of
the place of delivery etc. It is possible to save their lives if proper care is given. Dr. Rajiv is one among the doctors who is doing
miracles to save the life of the newborns.
Dr. Rajiv had attended a two day conference of child specialists held in 2001 at Kochi. He was the first doctor to begin a Newborn
Speciality Health Care in Kerala. At that time, he was the Medical Director of Ernakulum PVS Hospital.
He had also appeared in the news media in 1998, when he had miraculously saved a kid of 23.5 weeks old.
Dr. Rajiv, who had his preliminary education at Layola school and Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum and pursued his medical education at
Kozhikode Medical College and furthered with DCA and MD at HSG hospital Baroda. He attained fellowship in Neonatology from Australia and
had served at Westmead Hospital, Australia and Madras Child Trust Hospital before returning to Kerala. Now he is serving as the Head Of
The Neonatology Department of Apollo Mallayya Hospital and has won several awards in his field of neonatal care.
Dr. Rajiv has been doing revolutions in newborn healthcare since the past 10 years.
Problems arising for newborns uptill 25 days of their birth comes under newborn health care. Monitoring the pregnant mother and providing
modern medical care to the newborns help to save their precious lives.
There is a high possibility of mortality for kids born prematurely without much care. Breath problems, heart attack, infections etc.,
usually leads to their death. Dr. Rajiv, stresses that it is indeed a miracle to save the kids born at 6 months of term, those weighing as
low as 500gms.
Service of a group of dedicated specialists as well as modern equipments has led to this possibility. Mechanical invest ventilator, pulse
oxymeter, blood gas analyzer, capnographs, cardiac monitors, infection pumps, thermal control incubators etc., are some of the equipments
used in newborn health care.
Very few centres in India has the above mentioned equipments. Westmead Hospital Australia has the world renowned reputation of having the
best newborn health care unit.
Since breathlessness is a common complaint seen in newborn, ventilator unit has much importance in newborn care. Apnoea monitor is used
to warn if the regular breathing of the newborn does not resume in a fixed period.
Maintenance of body temperature is very important for newborns. Thermal control incubator is one such equipment, which helps to maintain
the apt body temperature. Heartbeat, ECG, BP, body temperature, etc., are accurately recorded using non intensive patient monitors.
Since newborns are prone more to infections, a fully aseptic environment similar to an operation theatre is needed.
The contraction of the uterus during the last months of pregnancy and during child birth as well as the heart intensity etc., can be
measured using the cardiothiographic monitor where by the accurate time of delivery can be assumed and brain damage during gestation can
be prevented. Dr. Rajiv is working hard to attain a cent percent in newborn health care.