A mother’s touch helps premature babies grow strong in Gaza
Summary
A hospital in Gaza has started a new program called kangaroo mother care to help premature and low-weight babies grow. This method involves mothers holding their babies skin-to-skin to improve the babies’ health and strengthen the mother-child bond.Key Facts
- Twins Ilyas and Yahya were born in Gaza; Ilyas was premature and weighed only 1.4 kg (3 pounds).
- Ilyas stayed in neonatal intensive care due to lung and blood problems before moving to a neonatal care unit.
- Kangaroo mother care means holding the baby against the mother’s bare chest for skin contact and breastfeeding.
- This care helps babies keep warm, breastfeed better, and improve health outcomes.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) says kangaroo care can reduce newborn deaths by 32 percent.
- The program at Nasser Medical Complex is supported by WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA.
- Staff aim for babies to have at least two hours of skin-to-skin contact per day, eventually reaching WHO’s recommended eight hours.
- The hospital is preparing special rooms and equipment to make kangaroo care more comfortable.
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