Baby Saif has undergone a series of complex medical procedures, including surgery while still in his mother's womb, after a 12-week scan revealed he had a severe defect in his diaphragm.
But, following a 135-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, Saif is ready to go home.
Latifa and her husband, an Emirati couple from Al Ain, were ecstatic when they learnt they were expecting their first child through IVF, after five years of marriage.
However, a 12-week pregnancy scan in November detected the serious diaphragmatic defect, which was causing Saif's bowel and liver to protrude into the thorax, the area of the body between the neck and the abdomen.
A congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare condition that occurs when the diaphragm – the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen – fails to close during prenatal development.
This allows abdominal organs such as the stomach, intestines and liver to move into the chest.
When the abdominal organs are in the chest, they can crowd the heart and lungs and keep the lungs from growing normally.
“It was crushing,” Latifa told The National, recalling the moment she heard the diagnosis.
“I was never going to give up on him and was willing to accept whatever God had planned for him, but it was a difficult journey. It does still feel like a dream.”
Latifa was advised to give birth at a government hospital in Abu Dhabi and later move her son to a specialist paediatric hospital for the required surgery
However, she decided against taking any risks with Saif's care.
“I had a friend whose baby also had CDH and her son died while being taken by ambulance to another hospital, so I wasn’t willing to take any risks.”
The couple sought out specialists and consulted Dr Mandeep Singh, consultant in foetal maternal medicine and obstetrics at Kypros Nicolaides Fetal Medicine and Therapy Center at Burjeel Medical City.
“As the pregnancy advanced, it was clear that the defect was severe, and this had led to both lungs being severely compressed,” Dr Singh said.
“The chances of the baby surviving with such a serious defect are around 10-15 per cent.
“Their only hope was to undergo a complex in-utero procedure called the Feto procedure (foetal endotracheal occlusion), in which a balloon is placed in the baby’s trachea using a fetoscope to encourage lung growth.”
Overcoming challenges
At 27 weeks' gestation, the first surgery was carried out, the Feto procedure at Burjeel Medical City.
Four days later, Latifa began bleeding and losing amniotic fluid. She remained hospitalised until her delivery in March.
“Honestly, the care I received here is like nothing else. I had the entire medical team checking on me every day,” she said.
At 32 weeks, Latifa went into labour, and the medical team performed the second surgery, a specialised operation known as Exit (ex-utero intrapartum treatment), allowing the baby to be partially delivered while still attached to the placenta.
This procedure provided Saif with oxygen from his mother as the medical team stabilised his breathing before delivery.
Dr Irfan Basha burst the balloon in Saif's trachea and inserted a tube to help him breathe. The baby was then delivered and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, where he underwent another major operation, a surgical repair of the diaphragm, at six days old.
“Seeing the entire medical team doing surgery for Saif in the NICU was overwhelming,” Latifa said. “Saif's organs were so small that they needed a magnifying glass.”
For Latifa, seeing her baby in the unit brought mixed feelings of pain, joy, and fear. The couple travelled daily from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi to be by their baby’s side and ensure he received the best care possible.
“It was a challenging time. My husband and family supported me, giving me the confidence that this would pass,” she said.
“The hospital felt like a second family, providing us with compassionate care.”
Getting ready to go home
After four and a half months, baby Saif is ready to go home.
“This was truly a blessing. I can't believe that after all this struggle, we will now go home,” Latifa said.
“I am truly grateful to BMC and the team for all the care they have shown us.
“This hospital and all the staff became my second family, especially with my family being far away in Al Ain.”
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Read more about the coronavirus
The years Ramadan fell in May
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
How Beautiful this world is!
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
Aquaman%20and%20the%20Lost%20Kingdom
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20James%20Wan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jason%20Mamoa%2C%20Patrick%20Wilson%2C%20Amber%20Heard%2C%20Yahya%20Abdul-Mateen%20II%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
