UTI diseases mentioned among sources of premature baby deliverance
TANZANIA: MALARIA and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) diseases have been mentioned as sources of premature babies’ deliveries in the country.
This was said over the weekend by Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital Head of Children Department, Dr Neema Kayange during World Prematurity Day celebrations.
Sometimes, twins’ pregnancies also lead to premature deliverance, following various circumstances in a mother’s body and force the newborn to come out early.
“Anaemia for a pregnant mother is another cause. Generally, there are a lot of reasons behind premature deliverance but the situation is preventable when a mother consults health experts immediately after she has conceived.
“Expectant mothers should, therefore, attend clinic sessions as per experts’ directives. At the same time, adherence to balanced meals must be of utmost priority. Nutrition is almost everything,” said Dr Kayange.
Meanwhile, Dr Kayange made the call for stakeholders to support the premature ward construction at Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital Head, in efforts to smoothen the service to such a special group of newborns.
She made the revelation that Bugando serves at least 130 in a month, be it those who are born within or from outside.
“Majority are born at 28th week. We still have a big challenge because the capacity of the available space in our hospital is for 40 premature babies,” she said.
Bugando Acting Director, Dr Bahati Wajanga said that the available space for children, in totality, is small, urging members of the community to support the hospital’s idea over the installation of the new and modern mother and baby facility.
At the celebrations ground, the event participants, including Ms Jamila Kaijage, a resident of Nyamanoro area, commended the government efforts towards improving health care services to premature newborn, despite lack of a special building.
She was among the parents with premature babies at the hospital, affirming that her baby gained weight dramatically, from 1.8 kilogrammes born with about ten days back, to the current six (kg).
