The aim of celebrating the ‘Newborn Week’ is to generate responsiveness among health care professionals and the common public towards newborn care and propose measures to improve the quality of care provided to the newborns. Keeping this in mind, this year’s ‘Newborn Week’ theme focused on “Preterm Birth”.

As estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 million babies are born too early every year. That is more than 1 in 10 babies. Approximately 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth and this rate is increasing alarmingly. Adding to the global burden of preterm births’, many preterm babies who do survive face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual or hearing problems. Inequalities in survival rates of preterm infants around the world are stark. In low-income settings, half of the babies born at or below 32 weeks die due to a lack of feasible, cost-effective care, such as warmth, breastfeeding support, basic care for infections and breathing difficulties. Suboptimal use of technology in middle-income settings is also causing an increased burden of disability among preterm babies who survive the neonatal period.
Based on this year’s theme for the ‘Newborn Week’, a number of activities were organized by Departments of OBG Nursing and Child Health Nursing, MCON, MAHE for the health care personnel of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal and the students as well as the teaching staff of MCON. Awareness programs were also conducted for the postnatal mothers of preterm infants and their caregivers as part of the newborn week celebrations held from 15 to 21 November 2018.

The activities planned and conducted were as follows:
Activity 1: Workshop on ‘Thermal Protection for Preterms’ for the health care professionals, teaching staff and students

To sensitize as well as to enhance awareness regarding the theme, a workshop on “Thermal Protection of preterms” was conducted for the health care professionals i.e., staff nurses, the teaching staff and students of MCON, MAHE on 16 November 2018.
Dr. Leslie E S Lewis, Professor Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College, MAHE and Incharge of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Kasturba Hospital, Manipal who was the chief guest of the Newborn week celebrations discussed the importance of the theme. He spoke extensively on how quality care can be provided for preterm infants who are at risk of several neurodevelopmental problems. He stressed on the WHO endorsed requirements for minimizing the effects of preterm birth that includes antenatal steroids, neuroprophylaxis, maintenance of warm chain and Kangaroo mother care.

The second session of the workshop was on ‘Radiant warmer care for preterms’ and it was dealt by Dr. Jayashree Purkayastha, Associate Professor of Dept. of Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College, MAHE. The third session of the workshop was on ‘Incubator care for preterms’ and was deliberated upon by Dr. Apurv Barche, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College, MAHE. Transporting infants who are born preterm should also be done meticulously and this was deliberated upon by Dr. Sneha J, Senior Resident, Dept. of Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College, MAHE who supplemented the previous speaker’s thoughts.
A session on transporting preterm infants using technologically enhanced products like ‘Embrace – warm pack’ was dealt by Dr. Gaurav Aiyappa, senior resident, Dept of Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College, MAHE. He explained to the participants in detail regarding the working principle of ‘Embrace – warm pack’, the uses and benefits of using ‘Embrace – warm pack’ in preterm infants as well as the advantages of using this particular product for short distance transport of preterm infants. He also stressed that this product is being increasingly used by many referral units as an easy to use transport system for stable preterm infants and the need for the health care personnel to be aware of this product. The total of 41 participants that included 12 staff nurses of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, 14 IV year B.Sc Nursing students, 5 II year M.Sc Nursing students and 10 teaching staff of MCON, MAHE participated in the workshop.

Activity 2: Sensitization programme on “Preterm birth and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for preterms” for the health care professionals
To sensitize the health care professionals regarding the theme “Preterm Birth" as well as to make them aware regarding various aspects of preterm infant care, a workshop on “Kangaroo Mother Care” was organized by the Department of Pediatrics KMC Attavara, Mangalore on 19 November 2018. Mrs Yashoda Sathish, Assistant Professor, Department of Child Health Nursing, MCON, MAHE Manipal, discussed the importance of the theme for the growth of India. She stressed on the importance of empowerment of mothers for a better outcome of preterm infants. The total of 30 staff nurses from Maternity and Child Health unit of Attavar, KMC, Jyothi, KMC Mangalore and Lady Goschen Government hospital, Mangalore participated in the sensitization programme.

Activity 3: Poster competition on the theme “Preterm Birth”
A poster competition based on the theme “Preterm Birth” was conducted on 20 November 2018 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Twelve posters based on the theme “Preterm Birth” were displayed for public display in Manipal College of Nursing, MAHE. The posters displayed the various aspects of preterm Birth and the care of preterm infants. A total of fourteen staffs and five students participated in the competition. The posters were evaluated for the their clarity, organization appropriateness and relevance to the theme “Preterm Birth” by Mrs Shalini, Nurse Educator of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal and by Dr. Melita Shelini, Assistant Professor, Medical Surgical Nursing Department, MCON, Manipal who evaluated the posters based on the criteria. The best two of the twelve posters were awarded.

Activity 4: Awareness program on “Preterm birth and care of preterms” for the postnatal mothers and their caregivers
An interactive health education session on various aspects of caring for preterms as well as an awareness program on the theme “Preterm birth" was conducted for the postnatal mothers/caregivers whose preterm infants were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and who were admitted to the postnatal wards of KH Hospital, Manipal. These awareness programs were held on 20 as well as 21 November 2018 and were executed by Mrs. Yashoda Sathish, Assistant Professor, Department of Child Health Nursing, and Mrs. Shobha Nayak, Lecturer, Department of OBG Nursing.
A total of 37 postnatal mothers/their caregivers/ their family members actively participated in these sessions. Concerns of the mothers were clarified during the sessions. Sessions were appreciated by the postnatal mothers/their caregivers/their family members.

Activity 5: Hands-on Workshop on ‘Thermal Protection for Preterms’ for the nursing staff
An interactive hands-on workshop on “Thermal protection for preterms” was conducted for the nursing staff belonging to the Women and Child Health Block (WCB) of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal on 21 November 2018. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Sonia R.B D’Souza, Professor, Dept of OBG Nursing, MCON, MAHE who deliberated on nursing implications for heat loss in preterm infants. Demonstration sessions were conducted by Mrs. Charmain Crystal Salins, staff nurse of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal who demonstrated the use and maintenance of ‘Embrace-warm pack’ and the working of the radiant warmer and Mrs. Yashodamma H.S, Ward Sister, NICU, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal who demonstrated the working of the incubator including the transport incubator.
The one-week events were coordinated by Dr. Sonia R.B D’Souza, Mrs. Sweety Fernandes and Mrs. Shoba Nayak from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecological Nursing as well as Mrs. Anusuya Prabhu, Mrs. Yashoda Sathish and Mrs. Sheela Shetty from the Department of Child Health Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal Academy of Higher Education.