World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched new recommendations based on new evidence that has emerged that can improve the care of preterm or low birth weight babies.
This comes as the world commemorates World Prematurity Day, which falls on November 17 annually.
“There are 25 recommendations which substantially expand the ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ for improving the survival, health and well-being of preterm and low birth weight babies. This includes Kangaroo Mother Care and involving families in the care of their babies right from the time of birth,” reads part of the WHO statement on World Prematurity Day.
According to WHO, globally an estimated 15 million babies are born too early every year, “Approximately 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth. Many surviving babies face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual and hearing problems.”
Save the Children Malawi website says one-third (37 percent) of all newborn deaths in Malawi result from direct complications of prematurity. To prevent these deaths, it says, the Government of Malawi has prioritised Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) as part of efforts to increase access to quality health services for mothers and children.
A new study by Save the Children in partnership with the Ministry of Health provides evidence that the customized (KMC) is highly acceptable to mothers and contributes to improved skin-to-skin practices in comparison to the traditional wrap chitenje.
