Enabling a better start in life, supporting our smallest
The Premayotte Association is helping the most vulnerable among us: premature born babies. In the neonatology service located on Mayotte island near Mozambique, the little ones and their parents receive the support required for a better start in life.
The hospital of Mayotte has the biggest French maternity unit with more than 9514 registered births, of which 4 to 5% require neonatology services. Being on an island, providing help to such prematurely born children is extremely challenging. Besides, Mayotte is facing a wave of immigration from Comoros island. This brings a significant number of pregnant women into the hospital, making up 70% of all females treated in the department. Most deliveries happen as emergencies and under stressful conditions, caused by the unstable health of the new-born babies.
During that challenging time, the Premayotte Association is supporting parents by providing their babies with material (such as clothes or bath products) after a premature birth. In addition, parents can interact with other parents who experienced the same situation, via social network chats, thereby reducing anxiety and stress.
The association also introduced sewing classes where volunteers learn how to manufacture blouses and incubator covers. Blouses are intended to be used for the weakest babies, for whom wearing “normal” clothes is impossible due to their condition. The incubator covers allow the babies to stay in a dark and quiet environment just like in the utero, helping them to grow and thrive.
The association was created in September 2016 and so far, they have already assisted more than one hundred babies with 40 kg of material. The next big project is to get ergonomic cocoons for premature babies. They will allow infants to lie in a position similar to the fetal position and avoid orthopaedic problems which would require additional treatments.
Website: https://associationpremayotte.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associationpremayotte/
This story was previously published on GoodPowWow.