Within the framework of World Prematurity Day, which is commemorated every November 17, “Prematurity Week” is also held in 2022 from the 14th to the 17th of the same month to raise awareness about the care of these children and their families. This year the motto is “The embrace of the family, a powerful therapy.”
International Prematurity Week is a UNICEF initiative to which the most important scientific societies in the world adhere. It is a date that aims to highlight the high risk of mortality that premature births can have.
While November 17 is recognized as World Premature Children’s Day as an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to give visibility to this problem, raise awareness about the needs and rights of premature babies and their families. , raise awareness about the importance of experience and quality care from the health system and, thus, advance policies that guarantee the full rights of both babies and families.
Premature birth in a premature birth can have multiple origins: due to maternal causes (gestational diabetes, hypertension, eclampsia, hemorrhages before childbirth); causes specific to the baby (growth problems in the intrauterine stage, genetics) or problems in the placenta (abnormal development of the placenta or certain pathologies). In these cases, the perinatal team (obstetricians and neonatologists) will make the decision about the appropriate time of birth that is beneficial for that baby and its mother.
The importance of skin-to-skin contact
Just as Prematurity Week has the motto “The embrace of the family, a powerful therapy”, the theme chosen by the WHO for November 17 is to promote skin-to-skin contact, which proved to be an extremely beneficial and effective, especially important in the case of premature babies.
Initiated immediately after birth, this contact contributes to the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, favors the stabilization of vital parameters such as heart rate and blood glucose levels, and helps the installation of a healthy microbiota, aspects of importance both in the process. adaptation to extrauterine life after birth and in the medium and long term.
In addition, it helps your relaxation and deep sleep. Whenever clinical stability allows, skin-to-skin contact in premature babies is essential for a healthy and sensitive experience.
In fact, the WHO recommended this November 15 a radical change in the way intensive neonatal care is provided in relation to “skin-to-skin” contact.
Karen Edmond, medical officer for newborn health at WHO, said during a press conference that "the first hug with a parent is not only important emotionally, but it is also absolutely critical for "improve the chances of survival and health outcomes of small and preterm babies."
This new recommendation on how to treat babies born before 37 weeks of gestation or weighing less than 2.5 kilograms applies in all contexts, the official stressed. "Even for babies who suffer from breathing difficulties," since "they also need close contact with their mother from birth," the WHO said.
It is essential that health teams know the available evidence about the multiple benefits that this practice entails for the baby and for families, and that they commit to and promote the appropriate conditions so that skin-to-skin care can be given optimally. .
Likewise, it is necessary to continue working with families to accompany and guide appropriate care for babies born prematurely.
Messages about the benefit of skin-to-skin contact
• Premature newborns have the right to beneficial immediate skin-to-skin contact with their mother just like full-term newborns. Even when they require intensive care, if their clinical stability allows it.
•Mothers of small, sick or premature children must be accompanied and supported so that they can breastfeed as soon as possible. Human milk banks are another alternative to consider in these cases.
•The sensory stimulation generated by skin-to-skin contact in premature babies is essential for affectionate and sensitive care, key to their development. It is linked to emotions and memory, promotes the secretion of oxytocin and enhances attachment.
• Skin-to-skin contact is important for premature babies as it establishes the foundation for the baby’s best development.
•The skin-to-skin contact of the premature baby, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, with its mother, favors the mother’s milk production and the baby’s initiative to suck, which is achieved more efficiently and quickly.
•Skin-to-skin contact, family-centered care model, and breast milk provision empower mothers in caring for their premature baby. The first hours and days are crucial for providing support and establishing breastfeeding.
