Helping babies in 4 maternity hospitals

Worldwide, preterm birth is the leading cause of death among children under the age of five. At the same time, there are sharp differences in the survival rates of preterm infants between different countries. In low-income countries, half of the babies born at 32 weeks or less (i.e., 2 months premature) die due to the lack of practical and effective medical care, including thermal protection, breastfeeding support, and basic care for infections and respiratory disorders. In high-income countries, almost all preterm babies survive. Ukraine, with its professional doctors, motivated specialists, and caring philanthropists, has very high results and nursing rates among preterm infants. Our charitable foundation has been standing side by side with neonatologists for 12 years and thanks to good people, we have been able to purchase the most modern medical equipment to save lives. This project is no exception!

The goal of this project is to purchase medical equipment for four maternity hospitals in different parts of Ukraine.

1. Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Perinatal Center – a portable venous scanner with a mobile stand,
2. Kamianets-Podilskyi City Council Perinatal Center – Okuman Medikal phototherapy lamp,
3. Zaporizhzhia Regional Clinical Hospital – bedside patient monitor PVM-4733,
4. Mukachevo St. Martin's Hospital – MBJ20 bilirubinometer and Rad 8 pulse oximeter.

Preterm infants are a special category: they are very tiny and weak, their body functions are still immature. A baby born weighing less than 1,500 grams faces problems with the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems. Born before 32 weeks, these babies cannot always take their first breath on their own. The lives of these babies are completely dependent on modern medical equipment. Now we will tell you what functions the above equipment has.

A venous scanner is used to detect superficial veins, subcutaneous bleeding, diagnose varicose veins, and help medical staff perform venipuncture.

The phototherapy lamp effectively and quickly reduces bilirubin and helps save babies from jaundice.

The bedside patient monitor is one of the most necessary devices for successful newborn nursing. It allows you to simultaneously monitor more than 10 indicators of a small patient's condition, such as making an electrocardiogram, measuring heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, or tracking changes in blood pressure. In case of critical cases, the device has an alert system.

Bilirubinometer is a compact device for measuring bilirubin levels in newborns. The skin-based bilirubin measurement is a non-invasive and therefore painless alternative to traditional blood tests. There is no need to take blood from the patient, which is very stressful for babies and their parents. The test result is known in a few seconds.

A pulse oximeter is a modern control and diagnostic medical device that is worn on the arm or leg of a premature baby, uses a photo detector to diagnose the slightest changes in blood color under the influence of oxygen, and then displays the averaged data on the pulse oximeter monitor. Such indicators are important for studying the real level of oxygen in the blood.

Thanks to the project, we will buy five units of medical equipment for four maternity hospitals in Ukraine. We want every child to have a chance to survive and live to please their parents. Support the project, and maybe today this device will save the life of a future artist, philosopher, or doctor.

Full names of the hospitals: ZOKDL, OR, IF OPC, OR, PC, CP MR, St. Martin's Hospital.