The year 2021 became so challenging and unique to any other year of the 21st century especially in the medical and healthcare aspect because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It pushed the medical and healthcare system to their full functionality and even beyond their limit.
This situation particularly affected the population of the country. Some families watched their loved ones breathed their last whereas some families were expecting a new family member. However, these expecting families and parents were hesitant to visit any healthcare facilities because of the current pandemic. This resulted to a lot of women giving birth alone or without a professional by their side to support and help them. Some women also did choose to go to a hospital but because of the pandemic, the time given to the mothers with their newborn became limited. On the other hand, studies suggested that though separating the mother and their newborn as safety measures is generally necessary against COVID-19, it, however, outweighs the risks, so high that they effectively cancel out any gains because it only creates a negative long-term effect of familial separation and increases the risks of morbidity and mortality of the newborns. Therefore, the theme for this year’s World Prematurity Day is “Zero Separation: Act Now! Keep Parents and Babies born too soon Together.”
The theme for this year aims to raise awareness on the importance of safe, infant- and family-centered development care for babies born too soon, too small, or too sick even in times of a global pandemic.
Beneficial to the mother and the baby if the healthcare facility will give time to bond most of their time together as early as after birth even in this pandemic. The close physical and emotional contact between the mother and the baby can positively impact the overall health of the baby and the parents bearing towards their parenting journey.
Some of these impacts for the babies are regulated cardiac and respiratory rates, improved breastfeeding, shortened hospital stay, reduced readmission to hospital, and better neurodevelopmental outcome. It also has positive impacts to the parents because it reduces parental stress and anxiety, equips parents to take better care of their baby after hospitalization at home and creates positive and protective instincts towards their newborns. Moreover, it facilitates early and exclusive breastfeeding that benefits the baby’s short- and long-term physical and intellectual health.
To further raise awareness about the World Prematurity Day, communities and health workers should be educated about how to identify danger signs before, during, and after pregnancy and monitor these. Strengthening the programs for First 1000 days also be implemented and closely monitored to every local government unit to reduce the risks of making the pregnant women in their community deliver a premature baby or worst suffer a stillbirth and to help in the prevention of stunting and wasting of the child in their coming years. Family planning should also be given to the parents to improve spacing between pregnancies.
Parents and babies should always be together as they are the most reliable source of warmth, feeding and protection in crises. #MPRayco
References:
European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants official website
