A mother’s touch helps premature babies grow strong in Gaza

At Nasser Hospital, a kangaroo mother care pilot programme helps vulnerable newborns as Gaza’s healthcare system struggles with shortages. Save Share Khan Younis, Gaza Strip –For 11 days after giving birth last month, Rania Fadel could not hold her newborn son. The 24-year-old gave birth to twin boys, Ilyas and Yahya, on September 25. While Yahya was born healthy, Ilyas was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, where he remained for nearly two weeks. Born prematurely, Ilyas weighed just 1.4 kilogrammes (3 pounds) at birth, according to his mother. He had medical issues affecting his blood and lungs, she said, and needed specialised care in an incubator. Rania herself was recovering from a Caesarean section when her son was taken into intensive care. For days, she could not hold him. “When they called me to hold him, I rushed over,” she recalled. “I was in a hurry to get to him. It was such a feeling.” As Ilyas’s condition improved and he moved from intensive care to the hospital’s neonatal care unit, Rania was able to hold him against her bare chest, introducing her to a form of care for low-birthweight newborns known as kangaroo mother care, part of a newly-launched programme at the hospital. It involves prolonged skin-to-skin contact between a caregiver – ideally the mother – and baby, with exclusive breast milk feeding, and has been shown to have important health benefits for premature and low-birthweight babies. “I was so happy. It was such a beautiful feeling,” Rania said. During the session, a nurse helped Rania position Ilyas against her chest, with his skin touching hers. Rania said he remained there for about 90 minutes. “He started breastfeeding from me, and he stayed a little longer,” she said. “I felt he was improving.” For Rania, the contact also brought a sense of closeness after days of separation. “The baby feels that his mother is there,” she said. “He feels safe. Honestly, it makes me very happy.” Kangaroo mother care involves placing a baby against a parent’s bare chest for skin-to-skin contact, alongside breastfeeding and appropriate medical care. For premature and low-birthweight babies, it can help regulate body temperature, support breastfeeding and improve health outcomes....