War in Ukraine causes significant rise in premature births

Every specialized medical institution in Ukraine needs modern neonatal incubators, as only they offer life-saving opportunities to premature infants.

Rubryka writes about it.

What is the problem?

Doctors refer to hostility, chronic anxiety, and worry as the leading causes of premature birth. Babies who are born before the expected due date are often referred to as "Sooners" [preemies – ed.] , and until recently, it was a difficult task for doctors to save them.

What is the solution?

Nowadays, babies are cared for in specialized neonatal incubators. According to Olena Vereshchak, who heads the department of intensive care for newborns at the Communal Enterprise "Regional Medical Center of Family Health" in Dnipro, moving the child there as quickly as possible is crucial.

"These incubators simulate the environment inside a mother's womb, providing warmth, darkness, and humidity. We provide special capes to prevent direct sunlight from reaching the infants," says Olena Vereshchak.

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How does it work?

At one point, the hospital in Dnipro made history by successfully saving a baby who weighed only 470 grams at birth. The Ukrainian Book of Records even recognized the medical team with a special honor. Olena Vereshchak acknowledges that the availability of incubators was crucial in this achievement.

"This child was one of the twins. The second boy was also placed in the incubator, but he weighed more than his brother at birth. The boys were delivered during the 26th week of pregnancy. We often see cases like this in our department, as it is specifically designed to care for premature babies. Fortunately, many of these babies survive; 50% of babies born at 24-25 weeks of pregnancy are saved. And with each passing week, this success rate increases."

Another record-breaking child was born at the Kyiv Regional Children's Hospital, which is located in Boyarka.

"Thanks to the neonatal incubator, we delivered a baby weighing 600 g; the woman gave birth at 26 weeks of pregnancy. I can definitely say that the majority of prematurely born babies survive thanks to modern equipment," says Nataliia Dyokhtiarenko, the pediatrician-neonatologist of this medical institution.

The Blahomai Charitable Foundation and PepsiCo in Ukraine became aware of the need for neonatal incubators in healthcare facilities.

Last year, philanthropists launched the National Children's Support Project "Warm for Babies."

As part of the initiative, they handed over 41 incubators and two intensive care units to medical facilities in four regions of Ukraine. Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions received help.

For reference:

Rubryka reported that Dnipro's "Regional Medical Center for Family Health" received six newborn incubators.

It should be noted that, in the Kyiv region, Vyshhorod and Ivankiv hospitals received new medical equipment.

It was also reported that the hospital in Vyshneve received equipment from benefactors, which is needed for the future surgical department.

In addition, the Kyiv Regional Children's Hospital received five modern transformer incubators.