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Obese baby's weight under control: Doctors

Zoya Khan, 3, who suffers from a genetic disease, had undergone bariatric surgery two years ago.

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When Zoya Khan was born in December 2010, she weighed a normal 3kg. However, within 11 months, her weight had shot up to 19kg, leaving her parents bewildered. But after a successful surgery on the toddler two years ago, doctors at Breach Candy Hospital have arrested her weight gain.

The doctors are today pleased to know that 3-year-old Zoya, who weighed 19kg before the surgery, has not put on any weight since.

The little girl was found to be suffering from morbid obesity caused by a genetic disorder. Her parents Yusuf (25) and Tajkhatul (23) are first cousins.

According to the laws of genetics, offspring born of blood relatives, such as first cousins, have higher chances of being born with genetic disorders. This seems to be the case with the Khan family, as the couple had lost a child to similar complications four years ago.

“At the age of two, their son Faizan weighed 22kg. He developed respiratory problems too, to which he finally succumbed,” said Dr Sanjay Borude, treating obesity surgeon, Breach Candy Hospital.

Zoya’s weight had ballooned to 7kg two days after her birth. While family and friends thought she was just a hungry baby who needed to be breastfed seven to eight times a day, Yusuf and Tajkhatul were not convinced.

Yusuf, who sells toys to earn around Rs70-100 a day, said, “Keeping in mind what had happened to my son, I didn’t want to take a risk with Zoya. Being poor, I met the paediatrician at Nair hospital.
They put my daughter on a diet and made her go through a lot of blood tests before referring her to Dr Borude.”

Dr Borude had never attended to a case like this one before. “In my 14 years of work, I have performed thousands of surgeries on people which helped them lose 20-30kg. But this was different. Zoya had also developed respiratory problems and would snore all night,” he said.

Zoya underwent sleeve gastrectomy, a restrictive form of weight-loss surgery in which approximately 85% of the stomach is removed, leaving a cylindrical or sleeve-shaped stomach.

The removal of a major part of the stomach results in the virtual elimination of ghrelin hormones, which stimulate hunger. This gives the feeling of instant fullness after a light meal.  Most of the surgery expenses were borne by the doctors and the hospital.

“We have successfully arrested the weight gain, but now her weight has to reduce. We will be sending her to London for some genetic tests,” Dr Borude said.

A relieved Yusuf said that now Zoya’s snoring has ended and her height has increased from 80cm to 87cm. “We are hoping she will lose weight gradually, as she grows taller,” he concluded.

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