Premature babies

Premature babies in the Czech Republic


In the Czech Republic about 8000 babies are born prematurely each year. The number of premature babies is rising. The current system, iniated in the 1990s, is not sufficient to provide adequate care for them, and this threatens the quality of care, which will inevitably decline, said the President of Czech Neonatology Professor Richard Plavka. For the past eight years, according to statistics, the number of premature newborns with low birthweight increased by 64 percent in the Czech Republic (CR)

In the CR there are currently 12 specialized centres of post-partum care. "The treatment is extremely effective," said Plavka. According to him, however, there is missing approximately one hundred specialised care beds, which cost 150 million crowns, because of technical equipment such as incubators. There is also lacking funding for high-quality staff, the current situation is extremely overloading those staff who stayed within the branch of neonatology.

While in 2008, 8638 children were born with low birth weight (under 2.5 kilograms), in 2000 there were 5277 children. Hospitalisation with very low birth weight (below 1.5 kg) takes several months. Lump sum payments do not take into account the increased cost of care, while the cost per volume of care provided cost 738 million koruna extra, estimated Plavka.
CR has one of the best systems of care for premature babies in the world, as measured for example by neonatal mortality, "said MEP Milan Cabrnoch, who worked as a paediatrician and for nine years in the development of newborns.

Neonatal mortality in the nineties was significantly reduced in Europe, even in the Czech Republic. Infant mortality is much lower when the baby is born in a specialized center. According to experts, it is necessary to improve the follow-up care for premature babies.

Especially children with very low birth weight (below 1.5 kg) .With extremely low birth weight (under kilogram) babies may have motor-neurone disorders, or behavioral problems with speech. They also tend to be hyperactive or have problems with emotional and social development and thus lagging behind in school, "said psychologist Daniel Sobotkova.

Parents of pre-term infants experience stress and fear for the child's health. They tend to have higher costs on commuting to rehabilitation. It is therefore important as financial support for parents, says Lenka Novotna of the civic association Nedoklubko, to support parents of children born earlier.