GE Healthcare has now partnered with a few hospitals in the country to create awareness on how to deal with prematurity and the care to be taken to ensure a healthy life for a premature baby. These healthcare providers are Cloudnine in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bengaluru, Rosewalk Healthcare in Delhi, and Sahyadri Hospital in Pune.
 
The move is in sync with the World Prematurity Day observed on November 17, to raise awareness of pre-term birth and the concerns of pre-term babies and their families worldwide.

As per the National Health Portal of India, 3.5 million babies born are premature every year in India and creating awareness about caring for these babies is very important. During, hospitalization, oral feeding with Preemies formula and breast milk are the best practices to improve growth. After discharge, this should be individualized as per the nutritional requirements of the infant and modified continuously to achieve the target growth parameters.

Preemies are delivered before 40 weeks, making them premature in terms of gestational age, body weight and certain developmental features. They are deprived of valuable nutrition which they would have received had they been in the womb till term. The need of the hour is to provide optimized nutrition to these preemies till they achieve adequate growth and development for a normal and healthy lifestyle.
 
Talking about the initiative, Terri Bresenham, President and CEO, GE Healthcare, Sustainable Healthcare Solutions, said that while parents’ care and correct nutrition is imperative for the preemie’s recovery, what also plays an important role is the hospital’s NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Our advanced products and technologies ensure that our partners are equipped to deliver the best possible care of the preemies.
 
Our NICU portfolio, along with expert neonatal care from our customers helps us stay true to our motto of sending moms and babies home healthy, she added.
 
“We acknowledge that when a baby is in the NICU, the mother and the family of the baby also need care and support. Many premature babies are born through a cesarean section, and the mother is often in recovery. The maternal-infant separation is also a cause of stress,” said Dr. Atul Chopra,Head – Neonatology and Paediatrics, Rosewalk Hospital, Delhi.

According that Dr.Kishore Founder Chairman, Cloudnine Hospitals with technology and medical advancements, it is now easy to treat premature births. With breast feeding and appropriate care, we can ensure that premature babies get the necessary care to not only ensure a speedy recovery but also ensure a healthy life ahead”.