Kangaroo method helps weak babies

Premature babies are now benefiting from a new and effective treatment at the National Obstetrics Hospital. To the delight of parents, the treatment means that babies born too early can develop as normally as babies carried to full term.

A doctor at Hue General Hospital gives special care to a premature infant.

Nguyen Thi Huong (not her real name), in Ninh Binh Province, who has renal failure, just gave birth to her baby after only 30 weeks of pregnancy. She said that she felt really happy knowing that her baby - weighing only 1.2kg - is doing well.

"My family didn’t think that he would be able to carry on because he was too small and weak," she said.

"But thanks to the doctors’ treatment at the hospital, he is now getting on well."

According to hospital director Nguyen Viet Tien, the hospital has invested in new and modern equipment and machines, and has applied new methods to treat premature babies.

"Many premature babies, even those who weigh only 0.7 to 0.8kg, have received proper treatment and are growing normally," said Tien.

Tran Thi Phuc, head of Obstetrics Faculty at the hospital, said that the new method applied at the hospital, called "kangaroo care", had proved effective when used on premature babies, even those born after just six months of pregnancy.

Kangaroo care is a form of skin-to-skin contact between a parent and their baby. The baby, wearing only a diaper, is held in an upright position against the parent’s bare chest. The baby is held this way for 20 minutes to four hours a day. This is called Kangaroo Care because it is similar to the way a baby kangaroo is snuggled against its mother.

The kangaroo care period is as long as a normal pregnancy, about nine months and 10 days.

Doan Thi Lan (not her real name) in Ha Dong District, who has heart disease, gave birth to her first baby at the age of 40, after only 28 weeks of pregnancy. Her son weighed only 0.9kg when he was born. He now weighs 1.4kg.

"His health is quite good now. The kangaroo method makes me feel safe when I can hold him in my arms. It’s really great," said Lan.

Doctor Phuc said that the causes of premature births are many and varied. Mothers too young or too old (14 - 15 years old or above 40 years old), or those with illnesses like heart diseases, high blood pressure and foetal infections may be likely to give birth prematurely.

Nguyen Thanh Ha, head of the Infant Faculty at the hospital, said that premature babies are usually born between the 26th and 36th week of pregnancy. These babies often suffer different kinds of health problems such as digestion difficulties, brain problems and weak senses like vision or hearing.

According to statistics supplied by the Infant Faculty of the hospital in 2008, the total number of babies born at the hospital was 19,618, with 2,507 babies born prematurely, 12.7 per cent of all pregnancies. Of the figure, 88 per cent went on to develop normally.