New guidelines to treat premature babies launched

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Guidelines to health workers on how to treat premature babies admitted in hospital has been launched.

The guidelines among other things include how emergency care is given to underweight babies, counselling to parents, the steps to take in follow up care, which drugs to be given as first, second or third line and what point of treatment should be changed in addition to what a health worker should put into consideration in case of a referral.

All the guidelines are explained in graphs and charts.

Speaking at the launch of the guidelines on Friday, Dr Victoria Nakibuuka, a Neonatologist at Nsambya hospital who coordinated the compiling of the book says the guidelines will help address neo-natal mortality especially for babies of one day to 28 days admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Of the 226,000 pre-matures born every year, Ministry of Health statistics show 9,800 die and Uganda is among the top 15 countries in the world with the highest premature deaths.

Nakibuka says that many health workers at Health Center IVs and hospitals have knowledge only attained at medical school and have not interacted with babies which affects the outcomes of their interventions when they offer treatment.

However, as it is now, 3 to 5% of the deliveries made at a facility are admitted annually and yet NICUs are a relatively new thing in facilities across the country.

Nakibuka says that many district hospitals lack such facilities and in areas where they exist, they have been constructed by donors and are often overwhelmed by patient numbers.

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