World Prematurity Day punts skin-to-skin therapy and breast milk to help neonates thrive

Cape Town – Under the theme, “A parent’s embrace: a powerful therapy – enable skin-to-skin contact from the moment of birth.” World Prematurity Day, observed tomorrow, will see people and organisations in over 100 countries unite in an international effort to highlight the global health burden of preterm births.

The campaign aims to raise awareness that with good management, neonates born too early can thrive and survive.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 million babies are born prematurely each year globally, accounting for one out of every 10 births worldwide.

In South Africa, the ratio is as high as one in every seven children, with around 84 000 babies being born preterm each year.

The WHO’s data shows that babies born preterm were more vulnerable to various health problems, like difficulty breathing, feeding problems, and infections, than their full-term counterparts. Preterm births and their associated complications are thought to be a leading cause behind high rates of infant and child mortality, especially in low-income settings.

Professor Ute Feucht, paediatrics professor at the University of Pretoria and Tshwane District Paediatricians, noted that there are several things that expecting mother’s can do to reduce the risk of preterm birth.

“Attending eight antenatal visits as per the Banc+ national guideline, managing any pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes or hypertension, that the mother might have, and lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.

“Healthy food choices during pregnancy, including a well balanced diet full of green veg every day, as well as a folic acid supplementation also play a role in making full-term delivery much more likely,” she said.

The WHO's research suggests that three-quarters of premature babies could be saved with feasible, cost-effective existing care solutions, such as Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), antenatal steroid injections, and antibiotics for newborn babies with infections.

Executive director at South African Breastmilk Reserve, Staša Jordan explained that KMC involves a lot of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, and frequent breastfeeding.

“While many parents now know that “Breast is Best” new mothers may not realise that breast milk is particularly important for preterm babies to stave off infection and necrotising enterocolitis. Breast milk, mothers-own primarily or donated are a lifesaving intervention for this very vulnerable population group, as it protects very low birth-weight babies from infection. Its also protects them from infections,“ she said.

The South African Breast milk Reserve is an organisation that runs human milk banks that supply neonatal ICUs at 85 hospitals for premature and sick babies – with a focus on rural and under-resourced areas.

This year they are calling on civil society to strengthen breastfeeding support for new mothers and encouraging healthy breastfeeding moms to consider donating their breast milk to the human milk bank nearest to them.

To become a breast milk donor,visit https://www.sabr.org.za/.

Cape Times