This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Kenya: Joy as 400g Baby Jeremy Tubula Gains Kilos ¶
On April 1, Catherine Joy Nkune's life took a dramatic turn when she started spotting blood. She thought it was too soon for her estimated delivery date, but a call to her gynaecologist would prove that her baby boy's time was nigh.
With her doctor's advice, Catherine rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where she would soon discover that her son, Jeremy Tubula, was born four months earlier than expected, weighing a mere 400 grams, equivalent to a loaf of bread.
However, Jeremy's story took a remarkable turn when he defied the odds and gained weight, eventually weighing 3.5 kilos. His mother, Catherine, was overjoyed, saying, "Today I can hold him without any fear like before. I didn't know whether I would find him alive or dead."
Jeremy's birth was marked as a milestone by Kenyatta National Hospital, with the facility's CEO, Dr Evanson Kamuri, stating that the baby was only the second to be born with such a low birth weight. Dr Kamuri added, "We are proud of the specialised level of care especially to newborn babies we guarantee an up to date status. We want to encourage mothers to adhere to antenatal clinic check up to help reduce maternal and child mortality."
Jeremy's case highlights the challenges of premature birth, which contributes to more than a quarter of deaths in newborns. According to the World Health Organisation, Kenya still fails to achieve most of the interventions recommended to improve preterm birth outcomes.
Dr Barbara Magoha, Catherine's obstetrician and gynaecologist, explained that the placenta was detaching, causing the bleeding, and that they administered injectable drugs to help the baby's lungs grow. Dr Miriam Karanja, a neonatologist, added that Jeremy still requires special care due to his low immunity and inability to regulate temperatures.
