Approximately 8,000 babies are born prematurely in Hungary each year, before the 37th week of pregnancy. Every year on November 17th, World Prematurity Day, attention is drawn to the struggles of these newborns and their families. Debrecen University joined in this year’s observance.
Several of the institution’s buildings were illuminated with purple light, symbolizing hope and perseverance. A family event was also held for premature babies who had previously been cared for in the neonatal unit and their parents.
The event, titled “Let’s Have Coffee and Cakes in Purple,” allowed former patients of the Department of Neonatology, Pediatric Clinic, to meet their treating physicians, nurses, and staff. Activities included face painting, cake decorating, and various demonstrations. Among the attendees was a teenager who was born at 26 weeks gestation, weighing just 600 grams. Today, they are excelling in high school.
“On World Prematurity Day, we celebrate our community, those involved in the care of premature babies. This is a community centered around the premature child, and the family is a very important part of it. In a neonatal intensive care unit, the relative – primarily the mother – is not just a visitor, but also a ‘medicine’ who supports the newborn’s development through breast milk, love, and touch,” said Tamás Kovács, head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Debrecen Clinic Center, to hirek.unideb.hu.
Therefore, it is important for mothers to be balanced, and they receive all the support they need at the clinic.
“No one is prepared for premature birth, so no one enters a neonatal intensive care unit as a prepared parent. Initially, the greatest help is to continuously inform the mother about where she is, what is happening on the ward. Then we talk about the mother’s group, where, with the involvement of our doctors and psychologists, we talk about a disease, a procedure. In addition, we introduced mother-child gymnastics, we have a film club, a book club, with which we try to make the hospital atmosphere a little more homely. This is also helped by family rooms, as well as the kitchen and dining room,” added Tamás Kovács.
Approximately 800 premature babies are cared for annually at the University of Debrecen Clinic Center, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Pediatrics. Most of these newborns are born between the 34th and 36th weeks of pregnancy, and they do not typically experience severe complications. However, for babies born at 24-25-26 weeks, there is a real risk of developing developmental disorders, such as visual, neurological, or respiratory problems. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that the care of premature babies does not end with discharge from the intensive care unit; children continue to receive complex developmental support.
“Fortunately, today, the vast majority of even the smallest premature babies recover without severe complications. In some cases, however, developmental disorders of varying degrees develop, the recognition and development of which are particularly important so that the child can integrate into society and live a full life. In recent years, the Clinic Center has taken a very significant step in this area by creating complex child rehabilitation care,” emphasized the head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Debrecen Clinic Center.
On World Prematurity Day, November 17th, attention is drawn to families raising premature babies, their difficulties, and the work of healthcare professionals who care for these babies. On this day, iconic buildings around the world are illuminated in purple, the color of hope. This year, the Main Building of the University of Debrecen and the Clinic Center, the Innovation Center, the Forest Center, the Nagyerdei Water Tower, and the Nagyerdei Stadium were also illuminated.
(unideb.hu)
