Dedication of Soonchunhyang Bucheon Hospital Medical Staff... 28-Week Premature Baby Born in Guam Safely Transferred to Korea

A premature infant born at 28 weeks gestation in Guam was safely transported to South Korea thanks to the dedication of domestic medical staff.

Professor Kim Ho-jung’s emergency medicine team at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital (including Professor Park Ga-young from pediatrics and nurse Kwak In-jung from the neonatal intensive care unit) announced on the 13th that they successfully transported a premature infant born at 28 weeks gestation in Guam to South Korea safely.

Medical staff at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital are caring for baby A, who was born prematurely, on the plane transporting her to Korea.
[Photo by Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital]

The mother of baby A, who was seven months pregnant and visiting Guam on a trip, suddenly went into labor at a hotel and gave birth to baby A at Guam Memorial Hospital. Born at 28 weeks gestation weighing 1.3 kg as a low birth weight infant, baby A required specialized treatment, but unfortunately, there were no neonatology specialists in Guam.

Baby A’s parents urgently sought options for transport to South Korea and contacted Professor Kim Ho-jung, who had previous experience transporting premature infants from Guam Memorial Hospital to South Korea. Professor Kim communicated continuously with baby A’s parents for a month and a half to plan the transfer. However, a typhoon struck Guam, causing delays. Professor Kim said, “The typhoon disrupted the transfer plan twice. Without local medical staff, we conducted telemedicine with a U.S. neonatology expert and, through continuous communication and efforts, were able to transport the infant to South Korea at 34 weeks and 5 days of age.”

Baby A’s mother expressed gratitude to the medical staff, saying, “It was very shocking and frightening to give birth suddenly while traveling, but Professor Kim’s continuous communication reassured me. Thanks to the prompt and safe transfer, we were able to bring the baby home healthy.”

Professor Kim’s team took measures to maintain baby A’s body temperature and supplied oxygen to ensure smooth breathing during the safe transport to South Korea. Baby A is undergoing examinations for retinopathy of prematurity, hearing tests, and other growth-related assessments in the neonatal intensive care unit at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, and will receive necessary treatment based on future test results. Professor Park Ga-young stated, “Low birth weight premature infants can deteriorate rapidly even with small environmental changes, so careful monitoring during transport is essential. Especially when problems arise, quick response is crucial to prevent long-term complications.”

Professor Kim advised, “If an emergency occurs during overseas travel, it is best to receive emergency treatment at a local hospital and then be promptly and safely transported back to South Korea for appropriate care. If planning a prenatal trip, special caution is needed, and it is highly recommended to purchase overseas travel insurance before departure to ensure quick local treatment, hospitalization, and domestic transfer if necessary.” He added, “In case of emergencies during overseas travel, inquiries can be made through the KakaoTalk channel of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine for overseas patient transfer.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.