Wir überwinden Grenzen

November 17 is World Premature Baby Day / Around 400 children were treated in the intensive care unit for premature babies at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg this year / Freiburg City Theater lights up purple for World Premature Baby Day

Anyone who is born prematurely is dependent on a lot of support in the first few weeks of life. At the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, everyone specializes in the needs of the very young. Around 400 children were treated in the "Eckstein" neonatal intensive care unit last year. "Families' anticipation of the birth of their child suddenly turns into concern for the immature child, especially in the first days and weeks of life, until the child is older and more stable," says Prof. Dr. Hans Fuchs, Head of the Section of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine at the Department of General Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine and Neonatology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. To draw attention to the fate of premature babies and their families, World Premature Baby Day is held annually on November 17. Freiburg also takes part in this worldwide campaign:

On the initiative of the Frühchenverein Freiburg e.V., which works closely with the neonatology department at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, the Freiburg Theater will be illuminated in the color of World Prematurity Day purple from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the evening of November 17, 2021. The association will have an information stand there from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to provide information about its work.

Specialized treatment centre

Every year, around 60,000 children are born prematurely across Germany. "Premature babies are children who are born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Premature babies weigh between 300 grams and approx. 2,500 grams," says Prof. Fuchs. Normally, babies are in their mother's womb for an average of 40 weeks and weigh an average of around 3,500 grams at birth. In premature babies, many organs are still very immature and it is particularly difficult for them to breathe on their own. As a result of this, or due to additional illnesses or malformations, highly specialized intensive medical treatment is necessary. As a result, even extremely immature premature babies, i.e. premature babies who are born up to the 24th week of pregnancy and therefore four months before the expected date of birth, can often survive completely healthy. The prerequisite for this is competent and experienced intensive medical and nursing care.

The neonatology and obstetrics departments at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg are certified as a level I perinatal center and are therefore a specialized treatment center for extremely premature babies weighing less than 1,500 grams at birth. The "Eckstein" neonatal intensive care unit with 16 beds is located in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and is connected to the delivery room, the maternity ward and the maternity ward. Once the premature babies are in stable health, they receive further treatment in the "Camerer" infant ward at the University Children's Hospital and are prepared for discharge.

Premature Baby Association Freiburg

Since its foundation in 2003, the Frühchenverein Freiburg e.V. has supported premature babies and their parents in the greater Freiburg area as a self-help group. Its activities include visits to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, monthly lectures on topics specific to premature babies, summer parties, Santa Claus gifts and fundraising campaigns for the benefit of the neonatology department at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. Further information on the work of the association, membership and donation options can be found on the Internet at: www.fruehchen-freiburg.de

Caption Image 1: The premature baby intensive care unit at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg also sets an example: The premature babies' weight milestones are celebrated with colorful balloons on the incubators.

Caption image 2: Comfortably warm in the incubator and dressed in a purple cap, little Pia reaches for her nurse's hand.

Caption Image 3: For World Premature Baby Day on November 17, the premature baby intensive care unit at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg is festively decorated in the color of the campaign day.

Copyright: Medical Center - University of Freiburg/Britt Schilling

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Hans Fuchs
Head
Section of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine
Department of General Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine and Neonatology
Uniklinik Freiburg
Phone: 07610270-45030
hans.fuchs@uniklinik-freiburg.de