A four-month-old baby boy, who was rushed from nearby Ningbo to Shanghai for emergency medical treatment after falling into a coma Tuesday night, was awake and alert Wednesday, but doctors said that it would take another 72 hours before they are able to determine whether the baby will survive.
Nicknamed Xixi, the baby diagnosed with a serious case of meningitis, remains in an isolated ward at Children's Hospital of Fudan University, where he was placed after his conditions were brought under control Wednesday, with doctors cautious of his "highly contagious" state, said Luo Weifang, a press officer for the hospital.
"Doctors gave the baby a series of antibiotic treatments," she told the Global Times Wednesday. "He had a dangerously high temperature, which took 13 hours of treatment to lower.
"His mother finally managed to breast-feed him this morning," she added.
Luo said that his condition remains serious, however.
Doctors said that it is too early to tell if the baby will be able to make a full recovery. Xixi will be closely monitored over the next 72 hours, added Luo.
The baby was escorted to the hospital by a relay of police vehicles, roughly 40 minutes after arriving in the city around 8 pm. Local police were alerted to the case after one of the parents' friends made an appeal for help on their microblog.
The speedy travel was a key factor in the baby's treatment Wednesday, said Luo.
Xixi's father, Hu Bing, told local media Wednesday that he was so grateful to police and doctors, who helped Xixi fight time during their 210-kilometer trip to the city.
Babies in the city do not typically start on meningitis vaccinations until they are six months old. Local doctors Wednesday advised parents to seek immediate medical attention for their baby at first signs of the disease; they include a high fever and red spots.
