NAIROBI, November 2023 – 17 November marks global World Prematurity Day. This day raises awareness for the challenges of preterm birth and celebrates the lives of preterm infants and their families worldwide.
- Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five; each year, about 15 million babies worldwide are born preterm, that is about 1 in 10 children. [1]
- Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal deaths in Kenya accounting for one third of neonatal deaths.
- Immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth between mother and infant has proven hugely beneficial for both, lowering mortality rates and instances of sepsis. [2]
- Continuous and prolonged skin-to-skin contact encourages breastfeeding and breastmilk feeding and paves the way for Kangaroo Mother Care as standard care practice, thus putting the family in the centre of all neonatal and maternal care.
- The Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA) joins the rest of the global community in celebrating World Prematurity Day 2023 and mourning the deaths of preterm babies in the ongoing conflict.
This year for World Prematurity Day, under the umbrella of “small actions BIG IMPACT: immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere”, we are raising awareness about the benefits of immediate skin-to-skin contact and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for preterm infants. Continuous and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between infant and parent is a central pillar of KMC. It encourages mother and infant to attempt breastfeeding, lowers stress levels, and strengthens family bonding. Recent studies show that skin-to-skin contact can (and should) be initiated immediately after birth, even before the newborn is considered clinically stable. Immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth improves thermal regulation, prevents infection, induces breastmilk, has positive physiological, behavioural, psychosocial, and neurodevelopmental effects, and reduces the risk of neonatal mortality by 40%.
Despite the benefits of skin-to-skin care for preterm and low birth-weight infants, implementing KMC as a practice has been a persistent challenge globally. It requires a paradigm shift in the “classical” newborn unit care model, which separates the mother and baby especially if the baby is born too small or too sick. This World Prematurity Day, we present a vision where mothers, newborns, and families form an inseparable centre around which the entire maternal-newborn care delivery is organised.
Although preterm babies form the largest group of paediatric patients in Kenya, their interests and needs, as well as the parents’ interests and needs, are hardly articulated publicly. World Prematurity Day raises awareness for the challenges surrounding preterm birth and educates people about risks and consequences. We hope to improve early detection during pregnancy, to promote innovative medical treatment options, to empower mothers and fathers in their roles, and to significantly reduce long-term consequences for children and their families.
At World Prematurity Day 2023, the Kenya Paediatric Association together with the Ministry of Health held a webinar on November 16th on Prematurity: Management, Complications and Prevention to create awareness in the country.
For more information, please visit: www.kenyapaediatric.org
© EFCNI
References
[1] World Health Organization, Children: improving survival and well-being, 8 Sep 2020, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/children-reducing-mortality, last accessed 20 Oct 2023.
[2] World Health Organization, Kangaroo mother care: Implementation strategy for scale-up adaptable to different country contexts, 16 May 2023, https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/367625/9789240071636-eng.pdf, last accessed 20 Oct 2023.
DR. JUSTUS MAINGI SIMBA MBChB, PhD.
Dr. Elizabeth Kiragu is a Paediatric Allergy Specialist and full time faculty based at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. She attended the University of Nairobi and for her undergraduate degree and her Masters in Paediatrics and Child Health. She completed a 2-year Paediatric Allergy fellowship at the University of Cape Town. Dr. Kiragu has established comprehensive allergy services within the Paediatric Department of Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. She has a special interest in food allergies, urticaria, asthma and allergy advocacy. She is committed towards advancing allergy care in Kenya at primary care level via presenting on a wide variety of topics at various National and Regional Conferences/Symposiums.
DR. JOY MUYONGA
DR. JUSTUS MAINGI SIMBA MBChB, PhD.
Dr. Barnabas Kigen
DR. JUSTUS MAINGI SIMBA MBChB, PhD.
Dr. Caren Ito Emadau
Affiliation: Machakos County
Fred Were is Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health specializing in Newborn Medicine. He presently holds portfolios of; Dean School of Medicine University of Nairobi (UON), Acting Principal College of Health Sciences (UON), Adjunct Professor of Newborn Medicine at the Aga Khan University (East Africa) and Executive Director/Chief Researcher of The Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium a wing of the Kenya Paediatric Association.
Njeri Wahome delights in all things administration. With over 20 years of experience in operations management in the development sector, Njeri as hands-on experience in strategic planning, financial management, human resources management, administration and logistics planning. She has experience providing technical assistance to NGOs on institutional strengthening for growth and sustainability.
Thomas Ngwiri is Head Clinician at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital since February 2010. He is also Director of the Paediatric endocrinology training centre for Africa (PETCA) – Nairobi which trains paediatricians from sub-Saharan Africa in the field of diabetes and other endocrine disorders. He has been a member of the Kenya Paediatric association executive since 2010 and is the immediate former National Chair of the association.
Dr. Lawrence Okong’o Owino is a lecturer at the department of paediatrics and child health at the University of Nairobi. He is also a consultant paediatrician at the Kenyatta National hospital as well as a consultant paediatrician and rheumatologist for all the major hospitals in Nairobi. He is a pioneer paediatric rheumatologist. His research interests are in the field of musculoskeletal health and immunizations. He has published papers in peer reviewed journals focussing mainly on childhood rheumatic disorders.
MBChB (UoN), MMed (UoN) M.Phil-MCH (UCT)). Dr Osano is a Lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, a consultant Paediatrician cardiologist at Kenyatta National Hospital. He has been the Program Coordinator for the NIH MEPI grant awarded to the University of Nairobi: Strengthening Maternal Newborn Child Health Research Training in Kenya. He has special interest in Maternal Child Health.
Dr. Joe Mbuthia is a graduate of the University of Oxford, with a specialty in Paediatric Infectious Diseases. He is an honorary Lecturer at the Department of Paediatrics and Child health, University of Nairobi as well as a Senior Technical Advisor to the HIV programme – Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium.
Dr. David Githanga is an accomplished medical professional with over 37 years of clinical practice experience. He holds a fellowship of the royal college of physicians of Edinburg (2021, a PhD in Medical Immunology from the University of Nairobi. (2019), Masters in public Health from the University of London (2010), He qualified in paediatric cardiology from the Royal Hospital for sick Children in Glasgow UK (1993), A Diplomate in Child Environmental Health from Athens Greece (2005, a Master’s degree in pediatrics from the University of Nairobi (1990) having obtained his MB,chB from the same University in 1984. Over the years he has demonstrated leadership capability and strategic thinking that has been instrumental in spearheading the growth, development and integration of the Kenya Pediatric Association (KPA) where he served in executive positions for a total period of 19 years.
Dr. Doris M.W. Kinuthia is medical professional with expertise in paediatrics and adolescent medicine, nephrology and HIV. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with medical qualifications MB.Ch.B and M.Med in Paediatrics. She has Certificates in Tropical medicine and Immunology from the same University. She did her fellowship in Paediatric Nephrology at the hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street, London.U.K. She has a post graduate diploma and Master of Business Administration from Sunderland University U.K.
Denish Osodo works at Safaricom Limited as the Internal Audit Director. He has wide and deep experience in Accounting and Audit with along progressive career in Assurance, Governance and Risk Services.
Dr. Makeba Shiroya Wandabwa is a Paediatrician and Public Health Specialist, with a strong health systems background having worked in various capacities to develop child health policies and guidelines, implement and monitor high impact child health interventions at the international, national, sub national and community levels. She has provided technical, strategic, evaluation and operational support for RMNCAH/HIVAIDS health programs funded by USAID, DFID, Global Fund and World Health Organization.
Dr. Kibore received her bachelor’s degree in medicine and her master’s degree in Pediatrics and Child Health both from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, she then went on and completed a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Washington, USA.
Denish Osodo works at Safaricom Limited as the Internal Audit Director. He has wide and deep experience in Assurance, Governance and Risk Services. Prior to joining Safaricom, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for several years, offering audit and business advisory services to Companies in different industries during his stints in Kenya and United Kingdom offices. He left PwC as a Director in the Risk Assurance Services team focusing on the provision of Internal Audit and business Controls Advisory Services to clients across Africa.
AFFILIATIONS: Department of Paediatrics and Child health, University of Nairobi.
AFFILIATIONS: Aga Khan University Nairobi, Kenya.
AFFILIATIONS:
AFFILIATION: Medical services Nairobi City County
AFFILIATIONS: Aga Khan University Hospital
AFFILIATIONS: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kenyatta University.
AFFILIATIONS: Gertrudes Childrens Hospital