Latest news with #prematurebabies
Zawya
4 days ago
- Health
- Zawya
South Sudan: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Ministry of Health launch newly constructed neonatal ward at Aweil State Hospital to improve care for sick newborns and premature babies
Seeking to improve access to medical care for sick, low birth weight, and premature babies in South Sudan's Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and South Sudan's Ministry of Health on 4 June 2025 opened a newly-built 40-bed neonatal inpatient ward at Aweil State Hospital. The new structure replaces the former 33-bed neonatal ward, which was frequently overcrowded with over 45 babies admitted at once and lacked enough room for critical care like resuscitation. "We had a neonatal ward, but it was always full or over its capacity," says Denis Mbae, MSF project coordinator for Aweil. "This new building, which is also closer to the maternity ward, will limit the distance that mothers have to walk to breastfeed their babies, while holding better equipment and amenities. "The new ward has increased capacity and improved design, with necessary space for incubators and life-support equipment to better support vulnerable infants whose vital organs may not be fully developed. Mothers will also have dedicated space for Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), promoting skin-to-skin contact vital for low-birth-weight infants, which has proven to help improve health outcomes of babies in this condition. This specialized unit, the only one of its kind in the state, offers spacious environments designed for infection prevention, improved monitoring, and better working conditions for staff. The building will also provide a space for neonates under one roof, allowing for better follow-up and monitoring. MSF has supported Aweil State Hospital since 2008, providing paediatric and maternity services in a region where many people face challenges accessing timely care due to limited peripheral health services and difficulty in finding proper transportation. In 2024, MSF assisted in delivery of 7,664 babies at Aweil State Hospital. The upgrade reinforces MSF's commitment to enhancing access to health care for better outcomes for vulnerable families in South Sudan. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Level 2 baby care status reinstated at Kettering General Hospital
A neonatal unit has regained approval to care for some of the region's most premature babies, following improvements in staffing and a downgrade in September 2023, the unit at Kettering General Hospital has now been fully reapproved to operate as a Level 2 Local Neonatal Unit. This meant staff can once again care for babies born after 27 weeks of gestation, or 28 weeks for multiple births, who weigh more than 800 Hogg, University Hospitals of Northamptonshire chief nurse, said: "We are committed to ensuring our neonatal unit delivers the best possible care to babies and families in our local community and ensuring that care is tailored to their needs." The unit was temporarily downgraded to Level 1 in 2023, which meant it could only care for babies born after 32 weeks. Babies born earlier or who were very sick had to be sent to specialist Level 3 decision was made after regular safety checks and staff feedback showed the unit needed more senior doctors and extra then, the hospital has made several important improvements, including hiring two neonatal consultants, a lead nurse for governance, a data analyst, and seven additional also took part in extra training sessions, including team-based practice for emergencies like resuscitation and managing breathing problems. 'Dedicated work' Leadership at the unit has also been strengthened, and links with regional neonatal care networks have been than 70% of the nurses were fully trained to care for very premature and unwell babies, meeting national standards set by the British Association of Perinatal Hogg added: "Once again, we are able to deliver intensive care, high dependency care, and special care to babies born after 27 weeks of gestation or 28 weeks if a multiple birth."I want to take this opportunity to thank our teams for all of the dedicated work and effort that has gone into achieving the improvements that have enabled us to start delivering level 2 care once again." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
