In response to a solicitation by the doctors of the neonatology department of the Timisoara Municipal Hospital, the facility received on Wednesday a donation from Save the Children Romania, consisting of equipment for premature babies, the organization said in a release.
The neonatologists will have at their disposal a preemie ventilator and two pulse oximeters worth a combined 20,500 euros.
As many as 98 births to underage mothers were registered at the Timisoara Municipal Hospital in 2023, and this year 70 underage moms gave birth here.
Head of the Neonatology Department of the Odobescu Maternity Hospital, Dr. Gabriela Olariu, told a press conference that the preterm risk depends on several causes, such as extreme ages or certain infections, and the follow-up of the pregnancy is paramount.
"Our clinic provides very accurate prenatal diagnoses, and pregnant women can come for a free one-day hospitalization and get quarterly ultrasounds," said Dr. Gabriela Olariu.
The youngest mother to give birth at the Odobescu clinic in Timisoara - not of Roma ethnicity - was 11 years old, but another noteworthy case was that of a girl who had her third baby at less than 15 years old. The oldest patient to become a mother here was 49, and became pregnant by IVF.
"In recent years, many women postpone pregnancy until older ages and then resort to in vitro fertilization, which comes with a prematurity rate by 1 - 2% higher, but the main reason for early births remains the failure to monitor the pregnancy. The smallest baby who arrived at our clinic weighed just 540 grams, he was born in the field and was full of straw. Our current 'mascot' had 600 grams at birth, dropped to 500 grams, but has meanwhile gained weight to 1,250 grams and we stand on our toes monitoring his vitals, we calculate his calories and do everything in our power to help him develop," explained neonatologist Gabriela Olariu.
The number of births handled at the Odobescu Maternity Hospital in Timisoara is relatively constant, between 3,100 - 3,250 per year, with a prematurity rate of 11 - 12%. The Neonatology Department has 12 intensive care beds and 15 beds for premature babies.
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