A newborn boy has been diagnosed with a rare medical condition which led him to suffer from hypoglycaemia, which is exactly the opposite of diabetes. The baby’s blood sugar levels were found to be excessively low as his pancreas produced too much insulin.

In a surgery conducted last week, doctors at BJ Wadia Hospital in Parel removed around 85% of his pancreas.

On the third day following his birth, the baby, now around a month old, born to a couple from Parbhani, started convulsing. Local doctors asked the couple get the infant admitted in BJ Wadia Hospital.

"When the baby was brought to us, he was convulsing and had very low sugar levels. We started medications, but he didn’t respond to them," said Dr Sudha Rao, paediatric endocrinologist at BJ Wadia Hospital.

Tests showed that the baby was suffering from hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar level, due to a congenital condition called nesidioblastosis, where the pancreas produce excessive insulin. "We decided to operate on the child. A team of doctors, headed by Dr Rajeev Redkar, conducted the surgery, removing close to 85% of the baby’s pancreas," said Dr Rao.

Following the surgery, the infant is well on the way to recovery. However, his blood sugar level will have to monitored regularly. "We have trained his mother to check the level using a glucometer," said Dr Rao.

Dr YK Ambdekar, medical director, BJ Wadia hospital said, "In this child’s case, there was a delay. Early referral is key to successful treatment. Blood sugar levels of newborns should be checked immediately as low sugar levels affect brain growth in children."