Medics at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi have marked the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby. Getty
Medics at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi have marked the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby. Getty
Medics at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi have marked the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby. Getty
Medics at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi have marked the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby. Getty

Abu Dhabi hospital celebrates completing 100 foetal blood transfusions


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

A milestone has been reached at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi with medics marking the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby.

The procedure, one of the most common foetal therapy techniques, is required when a baby has a low number of healthy red blood cells, impairing ability to carry oxygen around the body.

Foetal anaemia usually arises during an infection, or if the mother has a different blood group and antibodies travel trough the placenta to attack the baby’s red blood cells.

Foetal blood transfusion is rare and requires a high level of precision and expertise
Dr Leanne Bricker

The condition can be life threatening, so corrective treatment through transfusion is required as soon as possible after a diagnosis.

Ibrahim, 7, was the first baby to receive a foetal transfusion at the Corniche Hospital's advanced Foetal Medicine Unit back in 2014.
Ibrahim, 7, was the first baby to receive a foetal transfusion at the Corniche Hospital's advanced Foetal Medicine Unit back in 2014.

Nour Jabou, the mother of the 100th baby to receive a foetal transfusion at the hospital, expressed her relief after the successful procedure.

“We were terrified when we found out that our baby would need a blood transfusion while still in my womb,” she said.

It is seven years since doctors performed the first such procedure at the unit, on Marwa, who was expecting to deliver a healthy baby boy but experienced minor complications.

“I thank God every day for the medical care I received while I was pregnant with Ibrahim,” she said.

“Ibrahim is now living a healthy life. This would not have been possible without the team at Corniche Hospital.

“I remember being so scared as I had two miscarriages before Ibrahim, but the medical team assured me this procedure was for the best.

“When I look at Ibrahim now, I know I was right to put my trust in them.”

Dr. Leanne Bricker, Corniche Hospital’s Chair of Foetal Medicine, looks at healthy child's 3D image scan. Reem Mohammed/The National
Dr. Leanne Bricker, Corniche Hospital’s Chair of Foetal Medicine, looks at healthy child's 3D image scan. Reem Mohammed/The National

The procedure involves inserting a needle into the mother’s abdomen, guided by ultrasound, to provide blood for the foetus. It allows the baby to continue to grow before a safe delivery.

Foetal therapy can also be non-invasive, by providing medication for the mother that is then delivered to the unborn child through the placenta.

When that is not possible, doctors intervene with more complex procedures to give the baby the best chance of a healthy, safe delivery.

Haemoglobin is vital as it carries oxygen and red blood cells to regulate blood as it is carried around the body.

Any abnormalities can result in cardiac complications but signs are usually recognised in regular testing during pregnancy.

A milestone has been reached at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi with medics marking the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby.
A milestone has been reached at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi with medics marking the 100th blood transfusion completed on an unborn baby.

“Foetal blood transfusion is rare and requires a high level of precision and expertise,” said Dr Leanne Bricker, a consultant in foetal and maternal medicine at Corniche Hospital.

“As we mark 100 successful foetal transfusions, we celebrate a milestone that reinforces our expertise in treating unborn babies.”

The hospital’s advanced foetal medicine unit has been delivering health care since 2014, with a specialist team on hand to reduce complications and give babies the best chance of a good start in life.

It is one of few facilities in the UAE offering advanced foetal medicine, including complex procedures like foetoscopic laser to improve the health of identical twins who share their mother's placenta.

Doctors also perform foetal shunt procedures to aid unborn babies with defects that could impair organ function.

“We receive patients from across the country and the Gulf region,” Dr Bricker said.

“By collaborating with maternal, neonatal and paediatric experts, we provide comprehensive care that ensures the best outcomes for both mum and baby.”

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

World Cup League Two

Results

Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs

Oman beat United States by six wickets

Nepal beat United States by 35 runs

Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets

 

Fixtures

Tuesday, Oman v United States

Wednesday, Nepal v United States

 

Results

6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi

8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

 

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 1

Mata 11'

Chelsea 1

Alonso 43'

Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time

Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.

Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.

The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.

The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.

Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.

The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.

• Bloomberg

Champions parade (UAE timings)

7pm Gates open

8pm Deansgate stage showing starts

9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral

9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street

10pm City players on stage

11pm event ends

The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
RACE CARD

6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200

7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m

8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m

8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m

9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m

 

The National selections:

6.30pm Underwriter

7.05pm Rayig

7.40pm Torno Subito

8.15pm Talento Puma

8.50pm Etisalat

9.25pm Gundogdu

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Pad Man

Dir: R Balki

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte

Three-and-a-half stars

Oppenheimer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Nolan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Blunt%2C%20Robert%20Downey%20Jr%2C%20Florence%20Pugh%2C%20Matt%20Damon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

SERIES INFO

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series

All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Test series

1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March

Play starts at 9.30am

T20 series

1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March

TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Updated: July 20, 2021, 4:00 AM`