When mother-to-be Paige Roberts went in for a routine check-up, she wasn’t expecting her baby to be born two months early.
Tuteao Manihera, who is one month old this week, was born on March 30 after complications with her pregnancy forced Ms Roberts to be induced early.
Weighing only 1376 grams at birth, Tuteao has spent his short life so far at Werribee Mercy Hospital while doctors monitor his growth and progress.
Ms Roberts and her partner Nukumai are doing their bit by using the kangaroo method, a practice where premature babies are held in skin-to-skin contact.
Research shows kangaroo care is extremely important in babies’ growth and development, particularly for premature babies.
It’s also crucial for the health and wellbeing of their parents.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Nurseries at Werribee Mercy Hospital will be logging in as many hours of kangaroo care as possible for a fortnight starting May 15 as part of Australia’s second annual Kangaroo-a-thon, which is run by the Miracle Babies Foundation.
Women’s and children’s services program director Gillian Evans said the benefits of kangaroo care were widespread and could not be replicated by any other form of care.
“Kangaroo care has proven successful in improving survival rates of premature and low birth weight newborns and in lowering the risk of infection and severe illness,” Ms Evans said.
“It’s important as a health service that we promote best practice and we’re glad the Kangaroo-a-thon provides a creative avenue for us to do just that.”
