A Malaysian mother has spoken out about her premature baby’s health struggles.
Syadiyah Sajuddin told Yahoo News that she has now finally decided to share her emotional story to inspire other mums to never give up on their [premature] baby.
Sajuddin recalled that after the birth of her baby daughter, the doctor informed her that she weighed only 1.83 kg, as she did not grow properly in the womb. The average birth weight for a baby girl is 3.4 kg.
Just when the news was about to sink in, the little one contracted yellow fever. As a result, her weight slipped to 1.7 kg.
Sajuddin described how her “heart broke each time people looked at her newborn as if she had given birth to an ‘alien’”.
Sajuddin told of how she decided not to give up, but cared whole-heartedly for her baby so as to bring her back to health.
“From sticking to a proper breastfeeding schedule, to ensuring that she gets enough sleep, she was vigilant about everything. Sajuddin also made sure to see that her baby didn’t cry for long as it could further reduce her weight”.
Sajuddin’s baby girl finally gained weight and was healthy, and people called her a ‘beautiful princess’.
Sajuddin shared “that the reason she wanted to open up about this personal story of her baby was to inspire mums who had given birth to premature babies. She urged parents to put their effort into raising kids and not paying heed to what people around them say”.
Improving chances for premature babies
Babies are continuing to be born before or shortly after the abortion limit of 24 weeks gestation in Great Britain and going on to survive and thrive at greater rates than before. Studies suggest that the majority of premature babies grow up to be healthy adults without any major health problems.
A study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in October 2019, followed 2.56 million babies born in Sweden between 1973 and 1997, around six percent of whom were born prematurely.
Researchers compared the health data of the premature babies to those that had been born at full term. They found that 55% of premature babies had no serious chronic, physical, or mental health issues by early adulthood. This is compared to 63% for babies born at full term.
Additionally, with each passing decade, the odds of survival for a premature baby to adulthood have improved from about 91% of babies born in the 1970s to about 96% of those born in the 1990s.
A spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said: “It is devastating to hear that people thought it appropriate to insult the physical appearance of Sajuddin’s ill baby. All babies are equal in dignity, no matter if they are ill or premature. It is wonderful that this baby’s mother ignored those around her, and decided to devote herself to making her baby happy and healthy, which I am happy to hear she now is”.
