Something as simple as skin to skin touch between the mother and child can make their survival easy
17 Nov, 2022
With medical science getting all the more advanced, the burden of premature birth continues to be a challenge. As per WHO, prematurity is now the leading cause of death in children under five.
Source: ThehealthsiteA birth is considered premature or preterm when it happens before the 37th week of pregnancy or if the baby weighs under 2.5 kg at birth.
Source: ThehealthsitePremature births can happen for so many different reasons concerned with the mother’s or baby’s health. Sometimes they are even hard to predict.
Source: ThehealthsiteSpontaneous delivery, infections, chronic health conditions and others are a few reasons that could end up in preterm births.
Source: ThehealthsiteAs per WHO, every premature child can survive and thrive and each of them must get a chance at living.
Source: ThehealthsiteWHO recommends Kangaroo baby care that ensures skin-to-skin contact between mother and child even before placing the baby in an incubator.
Source: ThehealthsiteA premature baby must be provided mother’s natural milk at the earliest. In cases where the mother’s milk is not available, then donor human milk or nutrient-rich preterm formula must be fed.
Source: ThehealthsiteWHO strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding for premature or underweight babies until 6 months of age.
Source: ThehealthsiteAmong the essential supplements, iron, zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin D and even probiotics (conditional) must be given to the baby.
Source: ThehealthsiteWHO also recommends frequent massaging of premature babies with warm topical oils.
Source: ThehealthsiteFor healthcare providers, the WHO strongly recommends continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) in preterm babies with clinical signs of respiratory distress.
Source: ThehealthsiteThanks For Reading!