World Prematurity Day 2012
Raising awareness of premature birth is the first step to defeating it. Watch and share the videos below to spread the word about this critical issue for child survival.
While other parents are counting happy milestones -- baby's first smile, first tooth, first step -- the parents of premature babies are counting heartbeats. Premature babies aren't just small. Many of them -- more than one million babies each year -- won't make it to their first birthday. Watch this video to learn more about this urgent child survival issue.
Watch this short interview with Joy Lawn, Director of Global Evidence and Policy for Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives program, as she outlines what can be done to improve care for preterm babies and what countries like Malawi have done to champion change for newborns.
International superstar Celine Dion is lending her support to World Prematurity Day to help raise awareness of the 15 million babies born too soon each year around the world. She has taped a special Public Service Announcement (PSA) which will be seen worldwide in the lead-up to World Prematurity Day.
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a simple, low-cost intervention in which mothers serve as human incubators for their newborns. In KMC a preterm baby is wrapped skin-to-skin to their chests, helping meet the baby’s needs for warmth, breastfeeding, protection from infection and love. KMC is one of the most effective ways to save preterm babies. Watch this video about Grace Ngoto’s powerful story to learn how KMC helped save her preterm baby Tuntufye in Malawi.
Meet Rekha Samant, a recipient of the first-ever International Neonatal Nursing Excellence Award. A national trainer of KMC in India, she is highly trained in the management of preterm and sick newborns. Watch this video to learn her story.
Meet Regina Obeng, a recipient of the first-ever International Neonatal Nursing Excellence Award. Watch this inspiring video highlighting the power of KMC and the importance of trained health workers.