'35 lakh premature babies born in India every year'
Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality in India, with approximately 35,00,000 babies born prematurely each year.
Representative image.
CHENNAI: An event to commemorate World Prematurity Day was organized here in Chennai on Saturday, and stakeholders urged the need for more awareness on premature babies stating that one out of five babies born in Tamil Nadu is a premature child.
Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality in India, with approximately 35,00,000 babies born prematurely each year.
Only 10% of premature infants get early OMI (Oral Motor Intervention) or the inability to acquire oral feeding skills observed among premature infants, due to lack of awareness and paucity of trained personnel, the doctors who attended the event said.
The parents of premature kids shared their experiences, and a book titled Small Acts, Big Impact authored by Dr. Deepa Hariharan, Senior Consultant Neonatologist was launched.
"Maternal diabetes, hypertension, stress, infection, and malnutrition, as well as inadequate antenatal care, all contribute to prematurity. Premature babies require varying levels of intensive care, including respiratory therapy, antibiotics, phototherapy, parental nutrition, and cardiac support," said Deepa during the launch of her book.
Prematurity is likely to become a Non-Communicable Disease in the next decade. Simple measures throughout pregnancy, such as the use of steroids at the right time, therapy during the first golden hour of life, and immediate advanced neonatal intensive care, can enhance results," added Deepa.
According to a survey conducted by the Indian Foundation for Premature Babies, only 22% of the 2150 pregnant women polled were aware of the risk of prematurity.
Only 17% of the 1020 women who had premature babies were prepared for the logistics of NICU stay (such as NICU selection, separation of mother and baby, transportation, finances, and extended leave from job).
Dipika Pallikal Karthik, the squash champion recounted her experiences during her delivery and termed the role of doctors as crucial while attending to the mother and child, post the premature delivery.
