World prematurity day
The event of the year in pre-natal health

HPA Magazine 7

We celebrated World Prematurity Day on 17 November tenderly and joyfully. The event began at 5.00 PM with some welcoming refreshments for the Neonatal Intensive Care team and the parents. The babies all got a little Christmas present, while the grown-ups had a chance to share experiences, some more uncertain and distressing, but now remembered with the happiness of having a super-hero on their laps. 
Dr. Ivone Lobo, Dr. Oriana Leça and Nurse Patricia Sancho then gave a talk on The Risks of Premature Birth. 
Prematurity, which affects about 9000 babies every year, has been on the increase in the last few years, and is the primary cause of death for new-borns. Pre-term birth is any birth that happens between the 24th and 36th week of pregnancy. It is estimated that about 10% of babies are born prematurely. Various factors contribute to this possibility, such as: previous history of preterm birth, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking or age (under 17 or over 40 years of age).
At present, the HPA Health Group meets all the conditions to deal with prematurity in an integrated way; the Maternity Ward has a complete range of screenings available and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has all the technological and human support to take care of these babies.