There are many names that come to her mind: Dylan, Mathew, Tatiana, Yelina ... An endless list, which is lost in memory over the years, but that unique feeling of fullness remains when she is responsible for those lives that today beat.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Nurse Rosa María Figueredo Diéguez chose Neonatology for more than 25 years. She confesses that there is no exact qualifier to define what it means to deliver a healthy baby to the family, after several days of fighting against death.
“The excitement of pushing these newborns forward is really inexplicable. We share the pain of the parents, and just because we can feel it, it is so difficult to give bad news. When someone dies, all the staff is depressed here. ”
The recently concluded year was difficult for those who work in this service of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Hospital. Rosa María knows that from her experience so that she calls families to protect pregnant women as a precious treasure to avoid pre-term births.
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
More than 1,700 admissions were recorded during 2019. Reports also indicate greater survival, especially in ventilated infants.
The head of the service, Yodalis Cedeño Ramírez, says that the increase in critical patients required great sacrifice and responsibility of workers. “We have had to regret deaths, mainly in the last two months of the year.
“There are situations that complicate the work. Among them is extreme prematurity, i.e. children born between 25 and 27 weeks gestation. To this are added other complications of the immature pre-term, such as infections and extremely low weight that make the stay in the room longer. "
Cedeño expresses concern at the increase in premature births and says that although they are accustomed to the management of these infants, it is very difficult to recover those born with so few weeks. "They are very immature children, who are not prepared to leave the maternal cloister and no matter how much we try to save them, it is not always possible," she says.
She also alerts about the need to have protected sex to avoid infections that affect pregnancy so much. "The germs that constitute normal flora in the woman's genital organs become pathogenic during pregnancy, as the pH of the vagina changes and that causes the delivery process to accelerate."
STRATEGIES THAT SAVE LIVES
For several calendars, strategies have been drawn up with Primary Care, led by the Provincial Health Directorate. The purpose is to strictly monitor pregnant women with the identification of risk factors to modify them.
Recently, a commission conducted an evaluation of the service for accreditation and the results were excellent. “It means that our neonatologists are more prepared to train future specialists and give continuity to the achievements in the health system.
“Here what counts is the constancy in the medical benefits. We maintain the screening program for retinopathy of prematurity, the interrelation with the different specialties and follow-up consultations for children at high risk.
“Mothers keep our phone numbers and call us at any concerns. We evaluate them and, if necessary, refer them to the Pediatric. It is very nice to exchange with them and receive thanks. You experience great emotion when they come and tell you: "Look, I brought you my child so you can see it."
Many battles fought “behind the glass” return smiles to the families of Las Tunas. There, they are still warm in memory. Dylan is one of the many examples; He was born weighing just over two pounds and evolves favorably. After so many startling, the tranquility in his mother's face reaffirms the confidence in the health staff that renews her hopes.
Almost a year ago, Mathew left traces of love in that collective. He remained ventilated for 42 days with several life-threatening complications. Today he is happy, giving away smiles.
Like them, so many others, "reborn" in the hands of these men and women, who certainly do not work miracles, but constant feats full of dedication and professionalism.