By Bolaji Okunola
As part of the effort to create more awareness about preterm infants and mothers, Nigeria’s foremost professional photography and multimedia company, Studio24, Wednesday, organised this year’s edition of World Prematurity Day.
The aim of the annual global event was to raise public awareness about preterm births and concerns of the mothers. In its bid to reduce the ugly trend, the Firm took the crusade to the department of Pediatrics, Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where nurses and other health workers were encouraged to keep on with the good job.
Addressing the nursing mothers, Head, Nursing Service, LUTH, Mrs. A.O Oyegoke, said she derived pleasure in orientating guests on how such babies could be saved and lead normal life.
On his part, a Consultant at Newborn Unit, Dr. Beatrice Ezenwa, highlighted the benefits of keeping parents and babies born too soon together through Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), attributing the causes of prematurity to poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, lack of adequate information, teenage pregnancy and gender issues, among others.
Professor Chinyere Ezeaka, Head, Neonatal Unit, LUTH, while addressing the theme: “Act Now! The Way Forward/Implementation Toolkit for Small and
Sick Newborns”, stressed the role of the stakeholders on the issue.
In his response, Studio24 Team Leader, Ifeanyi Oputa, assured of the readiness of his organization to do more in the areas of equipment and regular visitation.
His words: “What led to Studio24 championing this year’s event was a very interesting one. I worked with a female director who had a premature baby of six months. The baby was able to survive because she had enough funds which led to her care but other babies in her unit didn’t survive due to one reason or the other.
“Imagine if she couldn’t afford it, she would have landed in trouble just like others.
“If we want to reduce rate of preterm infants, we must get parents involved. They have a major role to play.
“If a child was born without crying, what do you do within the next three to five minutes? Orientation like
this must be made known to the health workers,” he stated.
The event was chaired by the Head of Department of Paediatrics, Prof. Abiola Oduwole.