Helping the little ones

When a baby is born prematurely, it is extremely important to provide the child with care conditions close to those in utero. This is called "developmentally appropriate care" and is of particular importance for the physiological postnatal development of a premature baby. In the womb, the mother is warm, dark and quiet, and the baby is in a physiological (natural) position. In modern medicine, maternal warmth is replaced by special laying arrangements and positioners.

They are important elements of non-invasive therapy that help in the care of premature babies. Nests and special pillows are indispensable for prolonged nursing. They have unique properties of thermoregulation and heat retention, provide additional comfort and correct body position, and at the same time ensure proper blood circulation in the baby.

After a premature birth, the baby is nursed in an incubator that maintains the required ambient temperature, i.e. creates heat. To create silence and darkness, screening of the bassinets (special capes or covers for the bassinets) is used. The covers reduce the negative impact of unnecessary noise from the outside and protect against bright light. This reduces the risk of acoustic trauma, especially in children less than 32 weeks of gestation, shapes the development of the child's sleep-wake biorhythm, reduces stress and long-term neurological consequences.

Special "nests" and rollers are used to ensure the child's physiological body position, which is called physiological positioning. Due to this, the child is in a flexor position close to the physiological one, which ensures the harmonious development of the bone and nervous system of a premature baby, and reduces stress. It has a positive effect on the further neuropsychological and psychosocial development of the child.

The importance of such simple things cannot be underestimated! After all, it creates a positive emotional background for the child. The absence of stress and negative feelings, in turn, normalizes the child's respiratory rate, reduces the need for oxygen and episodes of apnea, ensures a stable body temperature, improves the start of breastfeeding, reduces long-term neurological disorders, and shortens hospital stays. We are currently using covers and nests and they need to be updated.

By raising funds for the purchase of positioners and incubator covers, each of you can take part in the care of premature babies – the little patients of the Khmelnytsky Regional Children's Hospital* – and make their care comfortable and aimed at harmonious development!

*Full name of the hospital: Khmelnytsky Regional Children's Hospital, a municipal non-profit enterprise.