Doctors at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) have successfully saved a newborn with a rare and massive spinal tumor, underscoring the hospital’s growing capacity to deliver highly specialized care following its recent elevation to a Level 6A national referral facility.
The infant, Nylla Skyler, was diagnosed with a large spinal tumor known as sacrococcygeal teratoma while still in specialized care, andthe womb after a routine antenatal ultrasound at Kuoyo Health Centre in Kisumu County raised alarm.
Rose Atieno Owiti, a 32-year-old mother of three, was immediately referred to JOOTRH, where a specialized Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) team took over her care in the ninth month of pregnancy.
Advanced imaging at the hospital, including a CT scan, revealed the tumor measured about 13.8 by 10 centimeters.
Doctors said the mass, although large, was largely superficial and had not spread to vital organs such as the bladder and kidneys, allowing for a carefully planned intervention.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist Dr. Muruka Kays consulted neurosurgeon Dr. William Owiti and other specialists, and the team agreed on a coordinated delivery followed by early surgery.
After delivery, a multidisciplinary surgical team led by Dr. Charles K’onyango Otieno successfully removed the tumor from the baby’s lower back.
The newborn weighed 3.46 kilograms at birth, but after surgery her weight adjusted to 2.64 kilograms, indicating the mass accounted for nearly a quarter of her birth weight.
The baby is currently recovering in the Newborn Unit at JOOTRH.
Dr. Otieno said the successful outcome reflects improved capacity in specialized maternal and neonatal care at JOOTRH.
The status of the hospital, he added, has enabled it to strengthen advanced imaging, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatal intensive care, specialized care, and surgical services, reducing referrals to Nairobi for patients from the Lake Region and western Kenya.
The case, he said, was part of ongoing outreach programs aimed at supporting peripheral health facilities to detect high-risk pregnancies early and refer them for specialized care.
On her part, Rose Owiti thanked the JOOTRH team, saying timely referral and coordinated care gave her daughter a healthy start in life.
This, she added, demonstrates how early detection and specialized intervention can save lives and transform healthcare outcomes in the region.
By Chris Mahandara
