About 1,700 children are born prematurely in Moldova every year. Most of the children born prematurely weigh less than 1.5 kg. Deputy Minister of Health Mihai Ciocanu told a news conference that several years ago these children didn’t have chances of survival. From 2008, the survival rate of children born with a weight of under 1 kg increased by 50%, while of those with a weight of under 1.5 kg – by 85%, IPN reports.
Mihai Ciocanu said that after the adoption of the World Health standards, it’s possible to monitor children weighing less than 500 grams, born at 22 weeks of pregnancy. However, the perinatal, neonatal and infant death rates in Moldova are three times higher than in the European states.
According to the deputy minister, most of the premature births happen in the case of women who resorted to in vitro fertilization and who are exposed to social risks generating stress. 18% of the premature births occur after quarrels in the family and after divorce. About 10% of the children born prematurely have different disabilities, while about 30% of them suffer from chronic diseases. These children are subject to increased risks of intracranial hemorrhage and malformations of the respiratory system.
80% of the premature births take place at the Mother and Child Center in Chisinau. The Center’s director Stefan Gatcan said the babies born prematurely need special medical care in incubators that help them adjust and breathe normally. Two ambulances outfitted with incubators have been bought recently for transporting such babies from the country to the Center.
The authorities aim to halve the number of premature births. This year, which was declared the Year of the Premature Child, the Ministry of Health plans to carry out the campaign “I also have the right to life” and to hold training courses for medical staff involved in the treatment of premature children and to teach mothers to lead a healthy life.
