In a drive to raise awareness on the challenges and to highlight the medical marvels that make both the mother’s and preterm baby’s lives better, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital’s Centre for Mother & Child conducted a Symposium on Child Birth and its Myriad Challenges today, at the hospital’s Convention Centre.
Chairperson Mrs. Tina Ambani and eminent obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr R P Soonawala felicitated the mothers who were present with their premature babies. The emotionally-stirring painting exhibition, ‘Voice of the Voiceless’, was displayed in order to highlight the journey of a mother with her premature baby.
Premature birth, responsible for 35 per cent of newborn deaths a year in the world, is the second most common cause of child death and 50 per cent of all neonatal deaths. Out of the 15 million babies born preterm around the world in 2010, 25 per cent were born in India, putting India at the top of the list for premature births.
Among those who survive, medical difficulties such as breathing problems, infections, being at risk for cerebral palsy and mental abnormalities burden their life ahead. Knowing this gap in the city of Mumbai, Mrs. Tina Ambani established a Center of Excellence for Mother and Child. This comprehensive centre of excellence deals with all aspects of fetal medicine, high risk pregnancy, nurturing preterm and extremely sick babies. The centre has nurtured preterm babies as young as 25 weeks and helped them lead a normal and healthy life.
This was made possible by a dedicated team that specializes in neonatal care of preterm babies and mothers, who diagnose and analyze fetal abnormalities early and accurately, counsel the parents, and work in tandem with the primary care obstetrician to suggest the best course of action for delivery. At the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), internationally trained neonatologists offer comprehensive care, including multi-specialty consultations, eye checks, and neurodevelopment follow-ups for the preterm baby in its most comprehensive state-of-the-art facility. The center has helped give life to more than 1500 preterm and extremely sick babies in recent times. Most of the babies, along with their mother, were present at the event.
An overwhelmed Mrs. Tina Ambani said at the occasion, “When care is comprehensive, the outcomes can be truly heartening—and heart-warming. Our experience shows that preterm babies transferred inutero (mothers transferred before delivery) have better outcomes than those transferred after delivery. However, in case of transfer of such babies from referral hospitals, we have constructed a “NICU-on-wheels”, comprising a specialized team of doctors as well as ambulance services to minimize complications.”
Photo Caption: Mrs. Tina Ambani with children who had a preterm birth at the Voice of the Voiceless
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