At St Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv, doctors have set their own record: they managed to sustain a pregnancy for more than three months after the premature rupture of the amniotic sac. The period that remained safe for the baby in the mother’s womb lasted 97 days, setting a new benchmark for the maternity team.
For 28-year-old Khrystyna Pryshliak from Lviv region, for whom this was a second pregnancy, her waters broke at 22 weeks. At this stage, the foetus is still extremely vulnerable, and the absence of amniotic fluid significantly increases the risk of infectious complications. The woman was urgently admitted to St Nicholas Children’s Hospital, which is part of the First Medical Association of Lviv.
The doctors monitored her test results daily, provided preventive treatment and regularly convened multidisciplinary meetings to assess the condition of both mother and baby. For months, Khrystyna had to follow a strict bed rest regime and hardly get out of bed. The previous maximum period without amniotic fluid at this facility was 83 days; this time it was extended to 2,330 hours, that is, 97 days.
“This case required the utmost attention from our entire team. The main thing was to prevent infection and buy time for the baby’s organs to develop. We moved forward step by step. And when labour started at 36 weeks, everything went just perfectly,” said obstetrician-gynaecologist Ihor Fedashko.
In the end, the pregnancy was prolonged to 36 weeks. Khrystyna gave birth to a son weighing 2,490 g and measuring 49 cm in length. Despite a uterine scar from a previous planned caesarean section, this time she delivered vaginally. The boy was born in a satisfactory condition and did not require resuscitation.
According to the woman, at first the family was very frightened by the sudden rupture of the membranes, but after the doctors’ explanations they decided to place their full trust in the medical team. It was thanks to the joint efforts of the mother and the specialists that the baby was saved and carried to a safer gestational age.
The newborn was named Nazar — the name for his little brother was chosen by Khrystyna’s elder son, who is five. The family is now back home, and the doctors wish little Nazar robust health and a peaceful childhood.
The First Medical Association of Lviv emphasises that it provides a full range of modern medical care — from diagnostics and treatment to complex surgical interventions, rehabilitation and prosthetics. The association includes St Panteleimon, St Luke, St Nicholas and St Anna hospitals, the UNBROKEN rehabilitation centre, and treatment and diagnostic centres.