The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Talensi District Hospital has organised a quiz competition for sub-district nurses in the district to climax the Neonatal Jaundice Week celebrations at the Talensi District Assembly conference hall.
The celebration which is on the theme: Spot the yellow,stop the disability and death, was celebrated to Intensify awareness among new mothers, potential mothers and caregivers on the early signs of Jaundice and preventive measures against the child disease.
Speaking at the sidelines of the event, the head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Upper East Regional Hospital, Dr. Gillian Bogee said the event is used to create awareness on the effects of Jaundice on children when it is not detected early.
“The yellow month is a month where we create awareness on Neonatal Jaundice. Jaundice among children if not detected early and treated can cause some disability in the child or the child can even die. It is when it is detected early that we can help prevent some of these disabilities and death. So it is important that we create this awareness so that mother are able to detect this early signs of Jaundice and bring them to the hospital early so that we help the child from suffering this disabilities.”
Dr. Bogee said teen mothers, pre-term babies, babies that are not breastfed well, and even term babies are all at risk of contracting jaundice.
She said early signs of Jaundice include ” it starts from the face coming down. The face and the whitish part of the eyes is yellowish in colour. The gums and under the tongue is yellowish. So when you notice these changes ,you are advised to bring the child to the hospital. “
The head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Talensi District Hospital, Mr. Stephen Abane, explained that facilities in the district are recording high cases of Jaundice among children born by under aged mothers and older women who have given birth to more than five or six children.
“Here in Tongo, we are recording high cases of Neonatal Jaundice among under aged mothers, those who are not up to the age of childbirth but have gotten pregnant. About thirty one percent of these under aged mothers recorded Jaundice cases in their children. Women who don’t attend antenatal, pregnant women who don’t report to the hospital early when labour sets in, Children given birth by older women, women who take in drugs, alcohol and other dangerous substances during pregnancy are all causes of Jaundice in their children”
Shea sub-district emerged winners of the quiz competition followed by Tongo and Pwalugu Sun-distructs who came in second and third respectively.
By:Simon Agana Blessing/mywordfmonline.com