World Prematurity Day: Mothers advised to seek help
World Prematurity Day has been commemorated, with advice going to mothers with pre-term babies not to be scared or worried about their situation but rather seek help from hospital.
The day, which is commemorated on November 17, every year to raise awareness of the challenges and burden of pre-term birth, was marked on the theme: “A parent’s embrace: A powerful therapy. Enable skin to skin contact from the moment of birth”.
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The Head of Clinical Services at the Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra, Dr Margaret Neizer, who gave the advice, said mothers with pre-term babies needed professional support to handle the babies, adding that it was only at hospitals with the necessary facilities and required personnel that such children could be taken care of properly.
"The expectation of every mother is to give birth to a term baby; what we call a bouncing baby. But when it doesn't go that way, it becomes a setback which affects mothers psychologically.
“Sometimes some mothers are afraid to touch their own babies because they are tiny and fragile, but they should not be afraid because the healthcare system is here to help them," she said.
Occasion
Dr Neizer was speaking when the Fortitude Child Support Foundation, an NGO, presented some items to mothers at the Children’s Hospital as part of activities to commemorate the day.
The items included diapers, baby oil and lotion, hand sanitiser, baby powder, Dettol, liquid soap, toiletries, floor sanitiser and bleach.
Dr Neizer further urged pregnant women not to hesitate to report any abnormalities they faced during pregnancy to hospital to prevent any fatalities.
She expressed appreciation to the foundation for its kind gesture and called on other organisations, corporate bodies and individuals to also go to the aid of the hospital.
Significance
The Executive Director of the foundation, Evelyn Duah, said although World Prematurity Day was commemorated in November every year, it’s significance was not known to many.
She said the vision of her outfit was to support newborns and maternal and child healthcare issues nationwide because “we believe every child is a gift from God”.
"We strive to mobilise assistance for improved neonatal, maternal and child health care in the country by partnering stakeholders to provide equipment and the needed resources," she added.
Ms Duah advised people to do away with the stigma around preterm babies and rather encourage and support mothers to take care of such babies.