Premature Birth is a very serious health
problem. It is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five
worldwide. Babies born too early may have more health issues than babies born
on time, and may face long-term health problems that affect the brain, the
lungs, hearing or vision.
World Prematurity Day on November 17 raises
awareness of this serious health crisis.
A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is
considered premature, that is, born before complete maturity.
Premature babies are born before their
bodies and organ systems have completely matured. These babies are often small,
with low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams or 5 lbs 8 oz.), and they may need
help breathing, eating, fighting infection, and staying warm. Very premature
babies, those born before 28 weeks, are especially vulnerable. Many of their
organs may not be ready for life outside the mother's uterus and may be too
immature to function well.
Some maternal causes include high blood pressure of pregnancy, Chronic medical illness such as heart or kidney disease,
Infection like urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, infections of the
foetal/placental tissues, drugs, Abnormal structure of the uterus, Cervical
incompetence and abnormalities in placenta.
Prenatal care is a key factor in preventing
preterm births and low birth weight babies. At prenatal visits, the health of
both mother and foetus can be checked. Because maternal nutrition and weight
gain are linked with foetal weight gain and birthweight, eating a healthy diet
and gaining weight in pregnancy are essential. Prenatal care is also important
in identifying problems and lifestyles that can increase the risks for preterm
labor and birth.
Some ways to help prevent prematurity and
to provide the best care for premature babies may include the following:
Ø Identifying mothers at risk for preterm labour
Ø Prenatal education of the symptoms of preterm labour
Ø Avoiding heavy or repetitive work or standing for long periods of
time that can increase the risk of preterm labour
Ø Early identification and treatment of preterm labour
Our mother and child care department at
Wockhardt Hospital services provides comprehensive services ranging from health
promotion to clinical excellence in maternity care and gynaecology. Our aim is
to deliver compassionate world class care with the latest technology in a
family centred environment.
Our Maternity services include qualified
dedicated nursing staff under the guidance of experienced renowned team of
obstetricians and gynaecologists, to monitor mothers and their new-borns. The
department is supported by a round a clock labour room facility and 24
transport ambulance services can be availed.
The Highlights of Maternity services
include: preconception assessment, comprehensive antenatal, prenatal care right
up to delivery of the child (postnatal care) services all under one roof. We
are also supported by tertiary level neonatal intensive care services and
painless labour facilities. Our high
risk delivery team at Wockhardt Hospital Mira Road and Nashik are adequately
trained to ensure a safe delivery for patients requiring critical management of
high risk cases.
Our medical experts provide an integrated
treatment approach for children, this includes outpatient, in -patient services,
Paediatric and neonatal intensive care services, Paediatric surgery and
paediatric/neonatal re-habitation. We specialise in managing high risk children
successfully. Our department is supported by a Paediatric Intensive care unit,
fully equipped and monitored to cater to children with serious illnesses and
trauma cases. Our critical care team provides the basic care in accordance with
a super-speciality team of doctors.
Our state of the art fully equipped, Neonatal intensive care unit is headed by a
highly experienced neonatologist and resident doctors to manage critically ill
new-born cases 24*7 requiring constant monitoring and a multidisciplinary
(medical and surgical) management. The ranges of services include incubatory
support, ventilators, phototherapy, surfactant administration, parenteral
nutrition, blood investigations and exchange transfusion all under one roof.
The backbone of NICU facility is our compassionate nursing services who are
highly experienced in managing all types of cases.
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