Mother renames girl’s name to Zubaida following medical assistance from ZRF

A baby girl, previously named Habiba, born with a rare congenital condition in Gazipur Sadar upazila, has been renamed “Zubaida” following a successful surgical intervention in the capital.

The child underwent surgery on Tuesday morning at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute with support from the Ziaur Rahman Foundation (ZRF).

The child's mother, Dilruba Akter, renamed her daughter Zubaida in honour of Dr Zubaida Rahman after the operation, said Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony.

He said the baby was born with a rare condition in which her upper and lower gums and jaws were fused, leaving her unable to open her mouth or feed normally. The child's father, a garment worker, was unable to afford the costly treatment required.

Following media reports, ZRF came forward to support the family's treatment. A medical team led by Dr Shah Muhammad Aman Ullah, director of ZRF, oversaw the intervention.

Doctors said the condition required complex and expensive treatment, and further surgeries would be needed for full recovery. Tuesday's procedure marked the first phase of the treatment, and physicians expressed optimism that the child would eventually be able to live a normal life.

The child was born in April to Habibur Rahman and Dilruba Akter of B-K Bari in Bhawal Mirzapur union under Gazipur Sadar upazila. Shortly after birth, doctors identified the rare congenital anomaly.

Since then, the family struggled with both financial hardship and the child's medical needs. The mother had been feeding the infant breast milk through a syringe via a nasal tube.

The surgical process was coordinated by ZRF member Dr MR Hasan under the supervision of Dr Shah Muhammad Aman Ullah. The operation was carried out by a multidisciplinary team of specialists from several institutions.

Members of the expert medical team included: Surgery Team Leader Dr Abdullah Al Masud, associate professor and head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Dhaka Dental College; Team Coordinator Dr Md Mostafizur Rahman Mamun, assistant professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and anesthesia team leader and Prof Dr Akhtar Hossain Loban, head of the Pediatric Anesthesia Department at Dhaka Shishu Hospital.

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Overall coordination at the hospital was provided by Prof Dr Khalid Mahmud Shakil of the pediatric surgery department.

Shishu Hospital's Prof Dr Faruk Ahmed, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) department's Dr Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Dr Md Ali Hossain Talukdar, Dr Tashrif Ahmed, Dr Ashfakur Rahman Sheetal, Dr Rubaiyat, Dr Arifur Rahman, Dr Rashidatun Noor, Dr Munnasir Zaman, Dr Mahidul Islam Mahin, Dr Jahirul Islam, Dr Riyad, Dr Redowan Ferdous, among others, participated in the procedure.