World Prematurity Day: 23 tiny ‘warriors’ celebrated at graduation
Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre commemorated World Preemie Day by honouring 23 premature babies and their parents at a graduation ceremony at the hospital on Monday.
The annual event highlights the triumphs overcome by these babies who were all once tiny babies born weeks before their due date.
World Preemie Day aims to raise awareness about preterm birth and its impact on babies, families and healthcare systems.
It also serves to highlight the role of healthcare professionals in saving lives and improving outcomes for preterm infants and celebrate the resilience of preterm babies and their families, while remembering those who have lost their lives due to preventable complications.
Under this year’s theme of Quality Care at the Right Time, at the Right Place, neonatal specialists shared about the challenges that premature babies face, compared to babies carried to full term.
In some cases, premature babies face hearing and vision challenges which most outgrow as they get older, and with the help of early detection by the hospital’s neonatal specialists.
This year, Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre paid special tribute to the neonatal staff and management who spend hours with preemie babies, many times when mothers have to go home and leave them behind.
The National Department of Health estimates that on average, 84,000 babies are born preterm in South Africa each year.
Often these tiny babies need extra nurturing and specialised care as their organs continue to mature outside the comfort of their mothers’ wombs, and this is where the nursing staff have to step in.
Paying tribute to the nursing staff, one mom Prenisha Naidoo, expressed her gratitude for the incredible doctors, surgeons, nurses and all the staff in the Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre Neonatal ICU who cared for her daughter, Iraya Chetty, born at 32 weeks.
“You were there when we needed you most, guiding us through every uncertain moment with professionalism, compassion and unwavering support. The days in the NICU felt long, and the road ahead seemed overwhelming but because of you, me and our baby made it through those challenging early moments,” the first time mother shared.
Naidoo recalled the day her daughter was born, weighing at just 1.3kilograms.
“I still remember the moment the doctors told me that I won’t be able to see her until I moved out of high care and that I won’t be able to hold her for a while after because of how fragile she was. It felt like time had stopped. My heart was breaking, but I knew she was in the best hands possible,” Naidoo said.
She said from the gentle touch of the nurses who calmed her and her husband’s fears to the expertise of the doctors who worked tirelessly to give little Iraya the best chance, each one made a difference.
“Your kindness, your dedication, and your knowledge meant the world to us,” Naidoo said.
Mum of triplets, Noxolo Dube, said she found out early in her pregnancy that she was carrying three babies.
“My boys, Zabelozenkosi, Zibusisozenkosi and Ziphozenkosi Dube, were born at 32 weeks and spent three weeks and six days in the Neonatal ICU. I know they were in the best care,” she said.
Second time mom, Sandhrika Singh-Gunoo, also expressed her gratitude to the staff who answered her hourly calls to check up on her daughter. She said her daughter, Maahi Gunoo was born at 34 weeks and it was difficult to go home after her daughter’s birth and leave her behind.
“The staff were so amazing. I would drop my eldest off at school in the morning, then spend the entire day at the hospital and the nurses would call me in to feed my baby every two hours. When I would leave in the afternoon to fetch my older daughter and go home, they would take my calls every hour and assure me that my baby was fine.
One day when I napped and didn’t call the hospital, the NICU nurses called me to ask if I was ok,” she said.
She added that the staff were very friendly and helped keep her mind at ease.
Ophthalmologist, Dr Kavitha Naidu, shared valuable insights on Retinopathy or disease of the retina, a condition that affects preemies. She explained how babies’ eyes are checked at birth and then monitored throughout.
Naidu explained that while there are no early symptoms, later on, babies will display unusual eye movements, white pupils and vision loss.
She said diagnosis is through a dilated eye exam and treatment is by observation for mild cases or laser treatment, eye injections or surgery in more serious cases.
“The number of extremely premature newborns with a high risk for postnatal Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) has increased in recent years, hence the pathogenesis of ROP development is now well understood,” Naidu said.
She said when ROP is detected and treated early, babies are able to grow up and lead normal lives.
In congratulating the babies on their graduation and their parents on taking care of them, Niresh Bechan, CEO of Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre, said World Preemie Day was an important date on the hospital’s calendar.
“This is our pride and joy. To see these babies who were born in our hospital and their parents. We want to commemorate this day by celebrating our babies, their parents and also our staff. Today is dedicated to every one of you,” he said.
Bechan encouraged parents to support each other and to engage with the hospital on how they can work to make the experience for future preemie parents better.
“As a hospital team, we do our best. But we are here for you. Share with us if there is anything that we can do for you,” he said.
Bechan raffirmed that initiatives such as these speak to the heart of Lenmed’s Vision of building healthier and prosperous communities.
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