Three-year-old boy youngest to undergo bariatric surgery

AHMEDABAD: Aansh Patel, a three-year-old boy from Surat, weighing 37 kg, is the youngest child in India to undergo a bariatric surgery, said doctors. Patel's parents were alarmed when Aansh gained a staggering 17 kg in the past one year and started having severe breathing problems affecting his sleep.

"While Aansh grew normally in his early childhood, he gained 17kg in the last one year. Laboratory reports suggested a rare case of Leptin resistance and the child also complained of snoring and difficulty in breathing during sleep," said Dr Mahendra Narwaria, who operated the child for weight-loss surgery.

Aansh was 37kg at the age of three, and his Body Mass Index (BMI) was 90 percentile, which indicate severe obesity in children. The ideal weight for a child aged 3 years should be 15-20kg, according to a city-based paediatric surgeon.

His parents say they attempted to control his weight through various therapies, but finally opted for surgery when he started snoring heavily and began suffering episodes of breathlessness during sleep.

Aansh lost around 2 kg after a week of surgery. Doctors say that in extremely over-weight children, there is also a high risk of bones bowing due to pressure. He will start growing like a normal child within a year, claim doctors. "We are also counselling his parents on how to regulate his diet and modify his lifestyle," said Dr Sanjay Patolia, director, Asian Bariatrics.

Medical experts have been expressing serious concerns over the growing cases of obesity in children.

"Studies have revealed that 16% of children in the urban areas of the state are obese," said Dr Narwaria. "The prevalence of obesity among children is on the rise in India. Parents must emphasize on healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet, typically high in protein to prevent obesity in children at an early age," he said.

"Cases like this where surgery is needed as a last resort are a clear warning for parents who ignore their child's health by pampering them," Dr Narwaria said.

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