Babies R Us handed over a NICU Transport Incubator to the Rahima Moosa Hospital on World Prematurity Day, 17 November 2023. Dr Joy Fredericks received the incubator on behalf of the hospital.
The theme this year for World Prematurity Day was “small actions, big impact.”
Between 150 and 200 babies are born monthly at the Rahima Moosa hospital, with a birthweight less than 2,5kg, and the incubator will help save many little lives, by getting these tiny babies to the NICU unit in time for the necessary care.
The transport incubator was purchased with proceeds from the Babies R Us Preemie Heart Campaign in 2022. The 2023 Preemie Heart proceeds will be used to supply Preemie Care Packs to moms in need at a public sector hospital.
“On behalf of the staff, mothers and babies at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, I would like to thank Babies R Us for this generous donation,” said Dr Joy Fredericks.
“Every small effort made at improving neonatal care changes the trajectory for these premature infants and has a lasting impact on improving outcomes.”
The Preemie Heart campaign is an extension of the Babies R Us / Netcare partnership, where Babies R Us provide Early Start Essentials bags to moms, having given birth to babies weighing less than 1,5 kg in a Netcare hospital.
With the support of several suppliers, these bags are provided free of charge to moms, and are packed with necessary items specifically suited for a tiny baby, like premature diapers.
Verena Bolton, National Coordinator Human Milk Banks at Netcare Limited added: “For parents, a baby’s early arrival means an unexpected and sometimes unprepared start to parenthood, often with a lack of knowledge regarding the needs of a premature baby. Netcare understands this and is proud to collaborate with Babies-R-Us in bringing emergency toiletries to families who have had an unexpected early delivery.”
Babies R Us also offers a full premature baby product range to service an unmet need in the parenting and baby care market, available online and at selected Babies R Us stores across South Africa.
The Early Start Collection for Premature Babies aims to offer parents the platform to easily shop for suitable premature baby items, all located in one place.
“Parents of premature babies are often caught unprepared, as their little one makes an early appearance,” says Ronel Grant, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Babies R Us. “Very often, premature births are also a very stressful situation for parents to deal with and manage, especially if the mother has also suffered health complications.”
“We’re incredibly excited to be able to provide this very unique offering to expectant parents in South Africa,” said Grant.
“The Early Start Collection offers items like premature sized diapers, specifically designed to suit a tiny baby, premature clothing including neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)vests, mittens, booties and hats as well as ITEMS like a PREEMIE journal for parents to support them on their journey.”
“In addition to individual items for purchase, we also offer an Early Start Collection bundle pack which is a whole set of all essential premature items which can be purchased online with free overnight delivery to the hospital or address of the mom’s choice,” added Grant.
Most notably, Grant added that beyond managing the journey of parents and babies, they have six Babies R Us Mom and Baby clinics which offer female health, baby wellness and mom wellness services.
“We also offer a virtual antenatal, as well as lactation course, hosted by Babies R Us midwife, Claire de Villiers and lactation expert, Carey Haupt. Customers can book on our website.” Grant explained that as mothers, the Babies R Us team is focused on mom and baby and have a complete understanding of what parents need to keep their little ones happy and healthy.
“Our trusted teams are all made up of moms and that is why we are very proud of our new Babies R Us Real Mama Club, a post-partum support event, bringing new moms together, to listen to some expert speakers and meet other moms in the same phase of the parenthood journey,” she said.
“The Babies R Us stores offer parents a comprehensive shopping experience, with a wide range of products and services, supported by knowledgeable staff members, offering trusted advice to help parents on their journey, both online and in-store,” concludes Grant.
