The child, known as 'Kangaroo', was as small as a litre bottle of water

Nakuru,

Wednesday, January 3 2024,

KNA by Anne Sabuni

Maureen Wanjiru, a seven-week-old mother, is grateful for the medical calls she received to provide more care for her baby. Wanjiru, whose infant child weighs 750 grams, says her newborn is very delicate and tiny in size.

Wanjiru, a mother, lost hope of her baby gaining weight and muscle, but now they are reunited with her tiny, water-filled baby. Wanjiru's child, weighing slightly above 3200 grammes, has made significant milestones at seven weeks, demonstrating a positive body and health trajectory.

 The Gilgil Sub-county Hospital in Nakuru's nurses and doctors successfully convinced the mother to choose Kangaroo Mother-care as her nursing option for her child's survival. Kangaroo Mother-care involves a mother carrying her preterm or underweight child with skin-to-skin contact, similar to a natural pouch for a child's warmth.

The mother, who left the hospital at 1950 grams, continues to practice kangaroo mother care, adjusting wrappers around her now grown and jovial child. Nakuru County's Gilgil Sub-County doctors are praising a program involving Wanjiru, citing increased mother adoption of the intervention.

The Hospital Superintendent, Dr. David Kuria, notes that the Kangaroo Mother Care helps the child utilize the mother’s body heat to warm it, just as it would be in the womb, allowing the child to utilize the milk in growth rather than generating heat. Dr. Kuria explains that this method directs energy toward body growth, resulting in faster weight gain than self-feeding or incubator-based methods.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Kangaroo Mothers reduce child mortality at between 36 to 50% of the over 20 million preterm as well as underweight babies born annually. For Instance, Esther Wangari, a nurse at a facility, emphasizes the Kangaroo method over conventional incubation for underweight children, citing its importance and effectiveness.

Wangari explains that proper care of the mother during pregnancy ensures that the child attains the recommended weight average of between 2500 grams and 4000 grams at birth. However, Wangari advocates for Kangaroo mother care, citing its benefits in preterm births and missed growth compensation, as it allows children to relax and sleep while clinching on their mother's body.

The Level Four facility records slightly over 200 births every month, with its expansion envisaged to serve the population better, owing to its rich catchment area that also includes parts of Nyandarua County.

Dr. Kuria, noted that the youth-friendly services offered at the facility had also encouraged pregnant youths to also access antenatal and post-natal services, which was vital, to ensure proper birth weight is attained, while those with issues are followed up promptly for further care.

“We appeal to all fathers and mothers to ensure that any pregnancy is reported on time and the mother starts attending antenatal clinics. This will ensure we monitor closely the health of the mother and the child.

World Prematurity Day, usually celebrated in November every year, serves to encourage mothers with preterm babies to embrace Kangaroo mother care as one of the most effective interventions to ensure that the children get love, warmth, and nutrition for growth, just as they would get while in the womb.

“Every infant deserves a strong start in life regardless of when they are born. Preterm birth complications are a global concern and a leading cause of death among children under the age of five,” noted Nakuru Deputy Governor David Kones during the recent Prematurity Day Celebrations at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey of 2022 revealed that 21 children were likely to die in their first month of life amongst 1000 live births, with 23 percent of the deaths linked to prematurity.

Courtesy; KNA