Premature babies. How to save a life?

In 1979, a Colombian doctor suggested a way to save the life of premature babies. He invented and implemented a method that is successfully used in many countries. Have you heard about the "kangaroo method"?Carefully read this article.

Premature babies are born on the term of up to 37 weeks of pregnancy. Because of the short period of pre-natal development, such babies weigh very little. The highest rate of infant mortality and morbidity is observed in prematurely born children.

There are cases when a child weighed only 280 g. The mother was carrying the fetus only 21 weeks and 6 days. This incident, which occurred in Miami( Florida, USA), unique - the girl was the smallest child of all premature babies born alive. Because before birth children are considered to be unviable if they were born before 23 weeks and their weight is less than 400 g.

Children with small weight are immediately placed in an incubator where the child is in a warm atmosphere in comfort conditions for him. In the incubator, he will be until his weight does not come to normal.

Kangaroo method saves lives

In countries with poorly developed health care in conditions of overcrowding in hospitals, lack of equipment and medical personnel, poor sanitary conditions, the spread of dangerous infections is very frequent.

One very attentive doctor from the city of Bagot, in Colombia, came up with an effective method to help protect a newborn. What is its essence? Premature babies immediately fall under the special control of personnel, but care for them will be common in such cases. In the meantime, mothers undergo special training, how to take care of the baby. As soon as the baby's condition stabilizes and he gets a little stronger, the mother turns into a live incubator for the baby. How?

The child is tied to the mother's body between her breasts. The baby touches the body of the mother and is constantly in warmth. It resembles a kangaroo bag, in which premature babies develop - they feel great there. Mom can feed a baby with her milk, and this communication establishes a closer connection between mother and child.

The superiority of this method is obvious: the method is safe, does not require any equipment and additional costs. Mom can wear the most ordinary dress with a belt or comfortable blouse. When the time comes and the child gains the minimum sufficient weight, he will be discharged home and the hospital will need to be visited only for a regular check-up with the pediatrician.

In some countries, relatives are taught to be a "kangaroo dad," a "kangaroo grandmother," and even a "kangaroo sister" to help mom when it's time for her to rest. In Mexico, doctors have been using this simple method since 1992.During these decades, they became convinced that it is very effective, because it reduces not only the time that premature babies spend in the hospital, but also the number of incubators.

Preterm infants - consequences and dangers

Sadly, among the prematurely born, you can often meet physically and mentally handicapped children. They can have such pathologies as:

• decrease in intelligence;
• psychoneurological disorders, cerebral palsy( cerebral palsy);
• impaired vision and hearing;
• epilepsy.

Skeletal malformations are observed - 10-12 times more often than in full-term children. With age, many such children suffer from anxiety, night fears, insecurity.

Therefore, preventive measures to prevent premature birth are very important. Among them:

• taking care of the health of a woman from early childhood;
• prevention of abortion;
• favorable conditions during pregnancy;
• supervision by a doctor for the course of pregnancy and childbirth.