Today November 17 is celebrated on World Premature Day, those little great heroes that by the circumstance that is they have come to the world too soon.
Nowadays, one in ten children in the world is born prematurely, a circumstance that should be given attention because it has become the leading cause of death in young children.
Main cause of death of young children in the world
For the first time in history, complications arising from premature birth are the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old all over the world. Of the 6.3 million deaths in 2013, 1.1 million were due to them, according to the magazine "The Lancet".
Specifically, direct complications of premature births accounted for 965,000 deaths during the first 28 days of life, with an additional 125,000 deaths between the ages of one month and 5 years. Other leading causes of infant deaths include pneumonia, which killed 935,000 children under 5, and birth complications, which caused 720,000 deaths, 662,000 in the neonatal period, most on the first day of life, and 58,000 in the postneonatal.
The objectives for the next three to five years are focused on preventing and alleviating this global health problem by helping to save the lives of so many children.
A few days ago we introduced you to MOM, a low-cost, portable and foldable inflatable incubator that could prevent the death of many children. While a conventional incubator costs about 36,000 euros, it costs about 300 euros including manufacturing and shipping costs.
The kangaroo method, the best incubator
The Mother Kangaroo Method, a technique originated in Colombia and inspired by the marsupials that are born immature and continue their growth outside the uterus, generates a magical effect on the newborn. When it can be done, the human is the best incubator.
In addition to providing emotional benefits, when with your mother skin to skin the baby regulates stress better and therefore adapts better to the environment and external stimuli, in addition to improving the regulation of vital signs (temperature, pulse, heart rate) and of course, facilitate the breastfeeding, a true natural medicine for premature babies. The baby's clinical situation improves markedly, which helps him gain weight and recover faster.
Breast milk helps stimulate the immune system of premature babies by protecting them from infections that can lead to sequelae or put their lives at risk such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a terrible disease suffered by 10 percent of premature babies that destroy parts of the intestine and from which a third of them die.
Purple buildings to raise awareness about prematurity
More than 200 countries, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, medical and health organizations will participate this year in the IV World Prematurity Day, a day in which more than 60 countries have planned special events focused on prematurity and premature babies
To raise awareness about the importance of addressing this problem, and how it has been done for several years, Emblematic buildings around the world will light up in purple.
The Cibeles Fountain in Madrid will be illuminated from approximately 7:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
Prematurity is an urgent health issue. More and more children are born before the end of the world, putting their lives at serious risk. Family planning to prevent pregnancies in women under 17 or over 40, reduce the number of embryos transferred in fertility treatments, eliminate optional caesarean sections before 39 weeks, obesity and high blood pressure are risk factors linked to premature births, neonatal mortality and birth defects.
