World Prematurity Day Makueni chapter ;What we need to Know

Makueni, 

Friday, 17 November, 2023 

McCreadie Andias 

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr and First Lady Anita Mutula have lead the World Prematurity Day Makueni Chapter at the Mother and Child Hospital, Wote in Makueni County on Friday. 

The event is aimed to raise awareness of the burden and challenges associated with preterm and low birth weight. 

Makueni says it has trained 25 healthcare workers who offer Kangaroo Mother Care for pre-term babies in six health facilities a move ensured 99.4 percent survival of all premature births recorded in the facilities. 

Health Director General Patrick Amoth who was also in the event launched the updated Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation Guidelines.

A preterm baby is one who is born alove without completing 37 weeks of pregnancy. 

These babies can be born underdeveloped or develop severe complications. 

According to data from the Ministry of Health, 1 in 10 babies worldwide is born preterm - before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy - resulting in approximately 1 million deaths.

The Ministry says that Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn deaths in Kenya. 

The Ministry advises that skin to skin care (Kangaroo Mother care) is beneficial for pre-term babies and can also be provided by the father. 

The world Prematurity Day is observed every year on 17th November to raise concerns of preterm birth and their families as well as raising awareness and start the conversations revolving around the same. 

Purple is observed as the colour for World Prematurity Day. People observing the special day can wear this colour to show their support. 

On this day, parents, health organisations, non-profit organisations, government bodies, societies, communities, companies, media and individuals come together to discuss the concerns of preterm birth and how it can affect the baby and the family. 

It also helps in creating conversations regarding improvement of health care facilities to address such health concerns of preterm birth. 

Furthermore, is helps in reinforcing preventive measures that can help the babies to stay away from deadly infections and other diseases. 

On this day, people come together to encourage research related to the concerns of preterm birth and help in addressing them with innovative approaches.

The global theme for this year's World Prematurity Day is - Small actions, big impact: Immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere.