Upper East Regional Hospital lost 25 preterm babies in 10 months- Dr Bogee

Dr Gillian Bogee, Head of the Newborn Care Unit of the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, says the Unit lost 25 low birth weight babies between January to October 2023.

She said out of 1152 preterm babies admitted at the Unit within the period, 530 were low birth weight babies.

“We lost 25 of these low-birth-weight babies out of the 530, and these 25 of the low-birth-weight babies that passed on were not actually on the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC).

“They were on the ward being managed for other serious medical conditions, and some were also referred from the neighbouring facilities into the Regional Hospital with serious medical conditions,” she explained.

Dr Bogee announced this in an interview with journalists at the launch of this year’s World Prematurity Month celebration at the hospital.
The month of November is usually celebrated as prematurity month, and this year’s celebration was on the theme: “Small Actions, Big Impact: Immediate Skin-to-Skin for Every Baby Everywhere.”

She said the total number of newborn babies admitted annually at the Unit was between 1200 to 1500, and out of the number, the second leading cause of admission was premature babies.

“Almost half of the babies we received at the Newborn Care Unit were low birth weight babies,” she said.

Dr Bogee, who is a Paediatrician, emphasized the need for expectant mothers to take Ante-Natal Care (ANC) services seriously, saying “We know that it is during the ANC that all these complications are picked up.

“So, if expectant mothers do not attend the ANC, their Blood Pressures are not checked, urine proteins are not done, the mothers live unhealthy lifestyles, and that can even make the uterine environment very unfavourable for the baby,”