Premature child birth comes with a lot of anxiety and stress. It is an emotionally and physically exhausting journey, and very time consuming. There is a lot of uncertainty during this period. Empathize a lot and try to understand the parents. There is the constant fear and threat of death looming over their heads. This …
Having a preterm in most cases is an emergency to many. It can wreak havoc to your family’s pocket and poke holes. It is a very expensive affair. I remember a friend during light moments joked that our preterms should be called ‘the millionaire babies’ due to the heavy booklet we received as a bill. …
Did you know that you can contribute to your preemie’s healthcare a lot by observing the strict guidelines of hand washing and thus lowering your medical costs? Good hand washing is the first step to stop the spread of illnesses and infections. Do not underestimate the power of handwashing towards the overall health of your …
Have you ever heard of the Amniotic Band Syndrome? Winnie Akumu narrates her experience of having a preemie at 32 weeks with the amniotic band syndrome. It was the worst pain I have ever felt despite this being my second pregnancy. I had left work to see the doctor as I had the usual back …
Bonding for some moms come very easy especially if the baby is a healthy full term baby who breastfeeds well and spends time with the mother immediately after delivery. For premature babies, the parents have to make a more deliberate approach to bond. This is because the babies spend more time in their incubators. Most …
ANEMIA This refers to a condition in which the red blood cells in the blood, are lower than normal. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the tissue. APNEA A prolonged pause in breathing that lasts more than twenty seconds. This is a common problem in premature infants to have an …
ATTENDING PHYSICIAN A doctor who has the primary responsibility for coordinating the medical treatment and care for a patient. In the NICU this will generally be your baby’s neonatologist. AUDIOLOGIST A medical professional who treats patients with hearing, balance and ear related problems. CARDIOLOGIST A medical doctor who specializes in the heart and circulation. CASE …
A’s and B’s This commonly used abbreviation in the NICU meaning stands for apnea and bradycardia. These are your baby’s episodes of slower breathing and slower heart rate. ADJUSTED AGE (also corrected age) It is a baby’s age based on his/her due date. Simply subtract from his chronological age the number of weeks early he …
A premature baby is a baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy that is more than 3 weeks before the due date. Also known as preterm or a preemie. Classification of preterm babies include; Late preterm – Baby born between 34 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Moderately Preterm – Born between 32 weeks …
Figures released by the Ministry of Health (MOH); Kenya, 2015 indicate that of the 1.5 million live-births in Kenya annually, 188,000 are of babies born too soon (below 37 weeks). Based on these statistics, one out of every eight children born in the country is premature. Kenya is among the top 15 out of 188 …