Give warmth – save a life

Every year in Ukraine about 7-8% of children are born prematurely. This means that every year thousands of babies come into the world before their organs have fully developed. The greatest challenge for such babies is adapting to life outside the womb: they often cannot breathe on their own, maintain warmth, eat, or fight infections.

That is why prematurely born children need special conditions and medical devices. Every detail of care matters: from proper positioning to the warmth of an incubator. Without this, the risks to life and health increase many times over.

Two medical institutions in Kyiv – the Kyiv Perinatal Center and the Kyiv City Clinical Hospital №5 (Children’s Medicine Center, Department of Postneonatal Care and Early Rehabilitation of Newborns) – have requested help in purchasing vital supplies and equipment.

This is not about luxury or convenience, but about basic things without which it is impossible to create a safe environment for the smallest patients:

1. Orthopedic pillows, positioning aids for newborns (for shoulders, legs, abdomen, head).

Such pillows and supports ensure the correct position of the baby in the incubator. They help the baby feel as if they are still in the mother’s womb, which reduces stress, promotes proper bone and muscle development, and prevents deformities.

2. “Nests” for nursing.

These are special soft constructions in which the baby is placed. They fix the natural body position, give a sense of security, and help the baby breathe and sleep better. It has been proven that the use of “nests” significantly reduces the risk of complications and speeds up recovery.

3. Diapers and fixation rollers.

They are used to ensure the correct position of infants, prevent dangerous body turns, and reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

4. Covers for incubators and open resuscitation systems.

These covers help create “night and day” for the child, protect from bright light, noise, and stress. For babies with extremely low birth weight this is critical: their nervous system is not yet ready for a large number of external stimuli. The cover provides calmness and promotes stabilization of vital functions.

5. Functional swaddling pads.

Such devices allow safe fixation of the baby, making care convenient for medical staff and comfortable for the child.

Only in the neonatal intensive care unit of the Kyiv Perinatal Center during 2024, 455 babies were treated. At Hospital №5, a separate department of postneonatal care and early rehabilitation of newborns has been created, where dozens of children need these devices every day.

Without positioning aids, covers, nests, and pillows, babies are left without basic protection, and doctors are forced to look for temporary solutions that are not always effective.

Your help is not just the purchase of supplies. Every hryvnia of this fundraiser turns into time and a chance for life.