World Prematurity Day
17 November is World Prematurity Day, a global movement to raise awareness of premature birth
Did you know...
There from the very beginning
When a baby arrives prematurely, there is no time to plan. This year has been especially difficult for the families of premature babies as the pandemic has restricted many from being allowed access to NICUs across the world.
We’ve joined forces with the charity Bliss and other leading organisations to raise awareness for World Prematurity Day, 17 November. World Prematurity Day aims to highlight the experience parents of premature babies face in the days, weeks and months after their baby’s arrival.
We asked parents of premature babies who have stayed in our ‘Homes from Home’ what it was like for them and we share their advice in the peer-to-peer advice section below.
Meet the Farrow family
Sarah and Paul Farrow were enjoying a weekend break, 270 miles from home, when she suddenly went into premature labour.
Brandon was born 12 weeks early, weighing just 3lbs 4oz and at just two days old his life was in the balance as he was given a 50% chance of survival. Green liquid was found in his feeding tube which led to an X-ray revealing shadows on his abdomen, a suspected perforated bowel.
Brandon spent the next eight weeks in hospital. Fortunately in that time his bowel healed itself so he didn’t need invasive surgery. During their time in London, his parents remained close to their son’s side and were able to spend every moment with him because of The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’ Stevenson House. Brandon is now back at home doing really well.
#WorldPrematurityDay
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Peer-to-Peer Advice
Every year, we give over 600 families with a baby, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, many who have been born prematurely, one less thing to worry about by giving them a place to stay, free of charge just minutes from their baby’s bedside. Parents might stay with us for a few nights or sometimes months.
Parents tell us that when their baby is born prematurely, they often feel scared, overwhelmed, lost and helpless. As World Prematurity Day approaches on Tuesday 17 November, we asked parents of premature children to share their advice to help others going through something similar.
We asked:
What one piece of advice would you give?
What are the ways parents can cope?
If you had known, what would you have taken with you to the hospital?
How can you remain close and connected with your baby while they’re in hospital?
How did you look after yourself while your baby was in hospital?
How do you adjust after hospital?
The one piece of advice I would give is:
Having a premature baby can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and separation anxiety, what are the ways parents can cope?
Often, there is no time to plan when a baby is born prematurely. If you had known, what would you have taken with you to the hospital?
How can you remain close and connected with your baby while they’re in hospital?
How did you look after yourself while your baby was in hospital?
Every premature baby’s hospital journey is different. When it came to an end, did you adjust well to being back at home? If not, looking back what would you encourage other parents to do to help ease this transition?
Any other advice?
The Sick Children’s Trust is here to give families one less thing to worry about by giving them a place to stay, free of charge, just minutes from their baby’s side
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