A Professor of Child Health and Consultant Neonatologist, Institute of Child Health, the University of Benin and University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Prof. Charles Eregie has called on the society to ensure that the lives of premature babies are preserved. The Professor made the appeal during a symposium organized by the Institute of Child Health, the University of Benin to mark the 2021 world prematurity day, titled “Kowtowing to Divine Injunction: Amplifying A Programmatic’ Dyadic Extrapolation”. According to him, as agents of change, whatever information that is received should be used to preserve their lives by obeying divine injunctions and focusing attention on the peculiarities of premature babies. In his words, “ out of ten babies born, one of them is premature worldwide. These babies that jump out before maturity should be given tender loving care. The babies that jump out should not be victimized twice.” While commending the Institute of Child Health, for empowering the society and community with the necessary information through the series of lectures and enlightenment, Prof Eregie noted that every second, a baby dies due to prematurity even though seventy-five percent fatalities are preventable. “The eleven countries with pre-term stress, they are in south Saharan countries and Nigeria is the third with 773, 000 preterm birth. Though fifty percent of the causes are unknown, it is obvious that a woman who is in a loving relationship will not experience it while violence and abuse of a pregnant mother can make the baby jump out. “According to the World Health Organization, WHO, keeping mothers and babies together can save more than 125,000 lives, learn to open the bible, Mathew 19:6, Proverbs 22:6 and practice zero separation. “Even in these COVID times, baby and mother can be together by obeying the rules of washing of hands and wearing of face masks and we need special care for these babies and helping them to survive,” he added. Earlier, the Acting Director of the Institute of Child Health Dr. Damian Nwaneri said the Institute which is one of the oldest in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital is committed to educating the public on issues that affect the general well-being of the people despite the COVID pandemic. “The Institute of Child Health is involved in formal and informal education, celebrating events and interested persons are invited to enroll for capacity building,” he noted.
Give Premature Babies a chance to survive- Prof Eregie
