“The success was attributed to the contribution of all the people at the hospital. The chief nurse, for example, spent her own money to buy formula for the baby. The love the medical workers gave to the baby was like the love of his own mother," said a medical worker at the hospital’s Centre for Neonatal Care and Treatment said. Each year, the Center nurtures thousands of premature babies.

Recently, the doctors and nurses of the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology successfully saved premature twins weighing 500 grams each at 25 weeks of gestation.

Another prematurely-born baby weighing 400 grams, who has been in critical condition multiple times because of his extremely low birth weight, is now growing normally.

A premature baby boy named K weighed 600g and suffered from necrotizing enterocolitis and intestinal stenosis. He had to be incubated and mechanically ventilated for 143 days.

Doctor Pham Hoang Thai of the Centre for Neonatal Care and Treatment recalled, “We didn’t feel confident letting the baby return home when his health was still unstable. If his health turned bad, it would be very difficult to treat him later. When we are treating a baby with necrotizing enterocolitis, we only go home 3 days a week. The rest of the time we stay in the hospital."

"I still remember a moment when the baby went into shock and his condition changed suddenly. Without immediate attention, the baby could have died quickly. That’s why I can't bring myself to go home.”

It's difficult to take care of premature and low-birth-weight babies. It was particular difficult in the case of K, who had to be monitored closely every minute in strict medical hygiene and safety conditions.

K’s recovery was spectacular and he reached 2.2 kg after 143 days of treatment. He was discharged to go home to the immense joy of his family and the hospital’s doctors and nurses.

A relative expressed the gratitude to the doctors and nurses, especially those who treated and cared for K over the past 150 days.

“At one point, they had to be on duty 40 hours straight without sleeping to monitor his breathing and temperature. We consider them to be the boy’s foster parents. They loved him as if he were their own child,” the relative said.

This year the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology successfully nurtured another 500-gram premature baby born after 25 weeks of pregnancy.

The baby’s mother, Bui Ngoc Dung Jennie, an overseas Vietnamese from Canada, had pre-eclampsia and four previous miscarriages. She had been treated abroad, unsuccessfully.

“We’d like to thank the doctors and nurses of the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology for performing a miracle. I still feel like I'm in a dream,” Dung was moved to say.

Ten years ago, Vietnam's obstetrics and gynecology marked a milestone when it successfully saved a premature baby weighing 500 grams.

The number of successful cases has increased year by year. The survival rate of premature babies under one kilo increased from 18% to 40% in 2011.

In the US which has the most advanced neonatal care techniques, the premature birth rate of infants weighing 500 grams is 41%, while the rate at Vietnam’s National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology is 31%.

Associate Professor Tran Danh Cuong, the hospital’s Director, said this is a great number considering how limited Vietnam's physical and technical facilities are.

“Our first prerequisite is absolutely hygienic incubators, followed by extremely meticulous care and early feeding. We have a care strategy for each gestational age which makes the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology successful in saving extremely premature infants with low birth weights,” said Cuong.