World Prematurity Day

Bangalore, November 18, 2021:

To commemorate World Prematurity Day, Aster Women and Children Hospital, Whitefield organized an interactive educational program for parents to raise awareness on preterm birth. The program focused on providing the necessary guidance and answers to the questions of new parents addressing the health issues that could arise due to early births. Over 50 parents took part in the interactive session and shared the challenging journeys of their parenthood and bringing up their preterm babies.

As part of the program, to make a difference in the lives of the newborns and their parents, Aster Women and Children Hospital in association with Himalaya Wellness Company launched a book titled ‘Journey of Prematurity– Parental Guide’. Authored by Dr. Lathiesh Kumar Kambham, Lead Neonatology, Consultant – Paediatrics and Neonatology, Aster Women and Children Hospital, Co-Authored by Dr. Srinivasa Murthy C L, Lead Paediatrics, Consultant – Paediatrics and Neonatology, Aster Women and Children Hospital and edited by Dr. Chetan Ginigeri, Lead Consultant – Paediatrics & Paediatric Intensive Care, Aster Women and Children Hospital.

The book provides complete guidance to the parents of preterm babies. The comprehensive book aims to revolutionize preterm care for parents as it gives insights into the several concerns related to prematurity that parents usually have. It also provides easy-to-follow information which they can follow to keep a check on their baby’s frequently changing condition and gives insights into the NICU setup, how doctors treat and nurture their little ones, and guidelines to care for the baby post-discharge.

Dr. Lathiesh Kumar Kambham, Lead Neonatology, Consultant – Paediatrics and Neonatology, Aster Women and Children Hospital said: “Concerns about prematurity are not just about the short term. In some cases, complexities can be long term and can last up to 18 years of age. When talking to doctors, parents usually lose track because of medical terminologies and technical terms. This often makes them distressed and worried as they have a lot of questions when their baby is born prematurely. At times when doctors aren’t available to ease their worries, having a self-guiding book can be of great help.  Hence, with this book, we aim to explain things in a simplified manner to all parents.”

Appropriate care has to be taken during childbirth and in the postnatal and antenatal period for every mother and baby. Speaking on the need of neonatal care, Dr. Nitish Shetty, Regional Director, Aster Hospitals, Karnataka and Maharashtra Cluster said, “According to the World Health Organisation, every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm. Despite substantial progress made globally, sixty percent of the world’s premature births continue to occur in India, making preterm birth complications, a leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age in the country. Premature babies need advanced neonatal care for them to survive, and to survive without a disability, they need to be delivered in a place with advanced neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) that have the expertise to cater to such babies. This requires teamwork, expertise and the best possible technology to assist with care. With this book, we hope to help parents ease their concerns on coping with having a preterm baby.”

Emphasizing the need for awareness on preterm care, Mr. Shiv Kumar Singh – General Manager, BabyCare Marketing, Himalaya Wellness Company said, “Himalaya understands that babies need special care and we are delighted to be a stakeholder in building this shared vision with such a renowned child specialist for the health and wellness of preterm babies. As the most trusted and recommended baby care brand Himalaya BabyCare is committed to the health and wellness of babies and children. With the launch of this book on World Prematurity Day, we aim to bring attention to the extra care of preterm babies and their families. Besides, as a part of our baby and childcare initiatives, we are soon releasing a 28 videos series on child safety and 11 booklets on childcare.”

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