Report of Newborn Week and World Prematurity Day Celebrations

The Department of Child Health Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal (MCON), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in collaboration with the Department of Neonatology, Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal, observed the Newborn Week celebration. The theme for this year was “Give Preterm Babies a Strong Start for a Brighter Future”. The program was conducted with an aim to create awareness among the parents and caregivers of newborns and premature babies, healthcare professionals, and students to promote practices that ensure healthy survival of the newborns, thus contributing to attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, “Good health and well-being and goal 4, Quality Education.

A poster making competition was organized on November 14, 2025, to raise awareness among students and healthcare professionals about the importance of newborn care and healthy practices during the early days of life. The undergraduate and postgraduate students, faculty members from MCON and MSON, and staff nurses from the neonatal unit of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, participated enthusiastically in the competition. A total of 38 participants showcased their creativity through 20 colourful and informative posters. The five best posters were awarded, and all the participants received an appreciation certificate. The posters were displayed in the neonatal unit of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, to encourage parents and caregivers to adopt healthy habits and reinforce positive behaviours in the care of newborns, such as cleanliness, skin-to-skin (Kangaroo Mother Care), feeding, and thermoregulation. 

Dr. Sheila Samanta Mathai, Professor & Head, Department of Neonatology, KMC, Manipal, provided a brief overview of the program and highlighted the importance of the theme. An interactive question and answer session was organized for the semester V BSc Nursing students, MSc Nursing students of MCON, MAHE, Manipal, and staff nurses from the neonatal, antenatal, and postnatal units of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, to strengthen their knowledge of essential newborn care practices. Dr. Subhodh Shetty, Associate Professor, Department of Neonatology, KMC, Manipal, was the resource person. A total of 20 students and 26 staff nurses demonstrated enthusiasm and actively participated in the discussion. Following this, a comprehensive newborn care workshop on the theme was conducted by the team of staff nurses. The nurses demonstrated key newborn care practices to enhance their knowledge and practical skills related to newborn care. The first session focused on Developmental Supportive Care, with its components of Kangaroo Mother Care and nesting, demonstrated by Ms. Pramila, Ms Rakshitha, Ms Dakshayini, and Ms Anushka. The second session was aseptic non-touch technique (ANTT) by Ms Sudharshini, Ms. Chaithanya, and Ms, Ann Mary. They demonstrated the proper techniques for hand washing, intravenous hub management, and preparation of intravenous fluids and total parenteral nutrition under laminar airflow (LAF) conditions. The last session of the workshop focused on assessment and the positions of breastfeeding, paladai, and katori feeding by Ms. Shashikala, Ms Ashwini, and Ms Susanna.    

The event successfully combined learning, creativity, and health professional engagement, was coordinated by Dr Sheela Shetty, Assistant Professor - Senior Scale, and Dr Binu Margaret, Assistant Professor - Selection Grade, and supervised by Dr. Baby S Nayak, Professor and Head, Department of Child Health Nursing, MCON, MAHE, Manipal.