World Prematurity Day: Restoring hope to babies

PHOTO | NICHOLAS WAMALWA

KNH Paediatrician- Dr. Brenda Obondo demonstrates the benefits of CPAP to guests during the World Prematurity Day celebrations

By Marian Moraa

Ms. Grace Njoki 45, from Kawangware, Nairobi County, was hoping to deliver a healthy full-term baby five years ago.

Unfortunately, she had a pre-term birth. Her bundle of joy came to the world earlier than expected, weighing only 1Kg. This experience took a toll on her. She could not imagine her baby could survive.

Mr. Gerald Kwizera 40, a father of a pre-term baby has a similar story. “When I first laid eyes on my son, I could not believe that a baby born so tiny could eventually develop into a grown healthy human being,” he says.

Ms. Christine Munyi 35, a mother with a new preterm baby also shares her story. Blessed with a twin pregnancy, one unfortunately passed on before birth, while the other one was born prematurely at 32 weeks.

“I was advised and encouraged by the doctors and nurses at KNH that my baby would be given the utmost care,” says Ms. Munyi, who had all her antenatal clinic visits at KNH.

Premature birth is the delivery of a baby before they have attained 37 weeks either through a caesarian section or normal delivery.

According to KNH consultant Neonatologist-Dr. Mary Waiyego, the care given to pre-term babies is a multidisciplinary affair.

“We work with cardiologists, neurosurgeons, pediatric surgeons, among other consultants to take care of babies presenting any complications,” she says.

KNH New Born unit is well equipped with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Neonatal High Dependency Unit (NHDU), and facilities to take care of not only preterm babies but also term sick babies who require respiratory support in form of invasive ventilation as well as Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP).

The unit also offers therapeutic hypothermia for babies who get complications at delivery.

There is a 10-bed capacity Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) Unit that is specifically set aside to assist mothers in stabilizing their baby’s heart rate, regulating the breathing pattern, improving oxygen saturation levels, boosting the parent-child bond among many other benefits.

“The care we give to mothers and babies born prematurely is dependent on the baby’s condition,” states Ms. Grace Mbaabu- a trained Kangaroo Nurse at KNH.

“For the stable preterm babies who do not require any support in terms of ventilation, we immediately start them on Kangaroo Mother Care which is an early, prolonged skinto-skin care between the parent/ guardian and the baby. This can and should be done continuously or intermittently for 18-21 hours per day,” she adds.

“During their stay in the hospital, we have continuous messages to mothers on topics involving hygiene, feeding their babies, immunization, and the importance of follow-up visits as soon as they are discharged from hospital,” Ms. Mbaabi adds.

Ms. Njoki is just among the many successful preterm birth stories that KNH continues to deliver.

“I can only thank God and the KNH team for ensuring my baby who is now 5 years old survived despite being born preterm’ she adds.

Mr. Kwizera urges other fathers to assist their partners in taking care of their newborns just like he did. “I appreciate the advice given at KNH that fathers can and should also practice Kangaroo care. I can attest that it works and boosts the baby’s growth and health daily.” He says.

“The service I have received so far is impressive. KMC has given me a chance to bond with my baby and now I am looking forward to discharging,” Ms. Christine speaks while practicing KMC at the New Born Unit.

KNH New Born Unit joined the world in marking World Prematurity Day on November 17, 2021. The day aims at raising awareness for the challenges of preterm births and shines a light on the risks and consequences faced by preterm infants and their families worldwide.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five. Each year; about 15 million babies worldwide are born prematurely, that is about 1 in 10 children.

The global COVID-19 pandemic forced neonatal units worldwide to adopt strict safety measures that unfortunately often separated parents from their preterm babies in the neonatal unit, with detrimental consequences for babies and parents alike.

In addition to the health challenges experienced by the newborns, separation of parents from their babies contributes to severe and long-term health and developmental issues in newborns and also affects parents’ mental health in lasting ways.

With the theme: “Zero Separation. Act now! Keep parents and babies born too soon together”, this year’s World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to advocate for awareness on preterm births.

Speaking during the WPD celebrations, KNH Senior Director Clinical Services- Dr. Irene Inwani said,” Even without the additional risks of a global pandemic, preterm babies are among the most vulnerable patients worldwide and, as studies have shown time and again, they need their parents by their side. KNH focuses on balancing the needs of babies born too soon, too small, or too sick and their families with the requirements to keep them healthy.”

SDCS Dr. Irene Inwani cuts a cake to grace the World Prematurity Day.

PHOTO | NICHOLAS WAMALWA