World Prematurity Day 2023

Neonatal care intensive care is complex – with advanced equipment, technical challenges and the problems these babies face, Prof. Nicholas Embleton expounds on the importance of human milk and its role in the preterm infant’s development. He emphasizes the multifaceted nature of breastmilk, emphasizing that it provides more than just nourishment. Nutrition encompasses not only essential nutrients but also functional, microbial, and socio-behavioral elements. Additionally, he discusses the vital importance of the cellular components of breastmilk, specifically stem cells.

The World Health Organization strongly recommends skin-to-skin care and kangaroo mother care as part of preterm infant support. However, in a lot of countries, skin-to-skin care is not properly implemented. Silke Mader, the co-founder and chairwoman of the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) in Germany, elaborates on this idea, discussing its significance, the need for immediate implementation, and the essential role of parents in providing round-the-clock care for a more effective and comprehensive development of preterm infants.