Early deliveries preventable, says matron

By Karanja Njoroge

The number of premature babies’ deaths has dropped significantly at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital.

This follows the introduction of an intensive ante-natal campaign at the hospital. Statistics show that the Focused Antenatal Care campaign is bearing fruits with fewer mothers experiencing premature births.

Hospital Matron Veronica Kimani says poor nutrition, high blood pressure and malaria among pregnant mothers are the leading causes of premature births. Other causes include trauma mostly due to violence against pregnant mothers.

Anti-malerials

In Focused Antenatal Care, pregnant women are given anti-malaria and anaemia drugs and educated on healthy nutrition.

"Expectant mothers are required to visit the hospital four times before they give birth," the matron says.

They are also advised to avoid strenuous activities. The matron discloses that few cases of cervical incompetence — in which the uterus is unable to hold the baby — have also been reported.

A nurse, however, says the hospital is not adequately prepared to handle cases of premature births as it only has seven incubators.

"Some babies share incubators," the nurse, who declined to be named, says. Even with the reduction in premature births, the hospital that serves Molo, Naivasha, Nyandarua and Subukia, among others, requires about ten incubators.