In celebration of World Prematurity Day, the University Clinical Center Tuzla has just released a dozens of purple balloons in the air. According to the WHO, every tenth child comes to the world early, respectively before 37 weeks of pregnancy. On this occasion, 10 babies socks, 9 in one and 1 in a different color were set up at the entrance of the Clinic for Children’s Diseases and the Department of Neonatology to show that that one baby in 10 is born premature.
The aim of World Prematurity Day is to raise awareness of the challenges and burden of preterm birth globally. Premature birth is the leading cause of neonatal death in develop and developing countries. According to Prof. Dr. Fahrija Skokić, neonatologist, since the beginning of this year to November, 220 preterm infants have been born in this hospital. ” In past six years the incidence rate of prematurely born has decreased in Tuzla, but still need to work hard on the prevention of preterm birth. Prematurely born are treated in the NICU departments of the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics and the Clinic for Children’s Diseases.These tiniest patients are particularly sensitive in the period immediately after birth and during early development, and that makes them challenging both for health professionals and parents. Continuing education is the only way to raise the quality of life of preterm infants and their parents.” said Prof. Dr. Skokić
According to the World Health Organization, every year 15 million babies are born preterm and 1 million die before their fifth birthday. Out of 180 countries included in the research, Bosnia and Herzegovina is on 130 place by the incidence rate of preterm birth, an average of 1.89.
“By opening of NICU department at the Clinic for Children’s Diseases we have reduced mortality rate as well as adverse outcomes of preterm birth such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, impairment in movement and cerebral palsy.” said on the occasion Prof. Dr. Skokić.