Fewer births, more sick newborns

The survey was conducted in the second half of April, with responses from 10 Ukrainian neonatology facilities supported by the Polish Medical Mission. They include facilities that are close to the front line (e.g., Kharkiv or Zaporozhye), as well as those that receive refugees from all over the country (Lviv) thanks to the relatively safe situation. The hospitals shared information with the Polish organization about how their situation has changed since the Russian invasion began.

- Most hospitals report to us a reduced number of births compared to pre-war times," comments Milena Chodola, coordinator of the Polish Medical Mission's neonatology project, " Unfortunately, the number of pregnancy complications and premature births is increasing instead, which doctors who work with us link to impaired access to prenatal care.

For some facilities, the number of newborns is dropping dramatically: The Mother and Child Center in Dnipro still received 1106 births in 2021, only to have 606 a year later. In the first quarter of 2023, only 90 babies were born at the hospital. If this trend continues, it will mean a decline in births of almost 70% in just two years. The situation is better in places like Lviv, but the Regional Clinical Hospital there too reported a drop in births by almost a third compared to the time before the war.

Hospitals are also reporting a higher percentage of premature births, as well as an increase in pregnancy pathologies. For example, at the Kyiv Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 82% of newborns had low and extremely low birth weights. Doctors are also facing a higher number of prenatal infections, due to the difficulty of monitoring pregnancies in areas bombarded by Russia and the need for pregnant women to frequently hide in soggy home basements that serve as shelters.

- All hospitals report that during the past year they have been receiving deliveries in shelters, some of which have also involved surgical operations," adds Milena Chodola of the Polish Medical Mission, "From time to time, hospitals also have to switch to generator power, due to power outages.

Understandably, however, medical facilities have different needs depending on how far they are from the front lines. When doctors from the Lviv hospital talk about the need for training and continuous improvement of their competencies, doctors from Zaporizhia ask primarily for supplies of medicines. All units, meanwhile, unanimously report needs for equipment, from ultrasound machines and syringe dispensers to respirators for newborns.

The Polish Medical Mission has been helping Ukrainian hospitals since the beginning of the war. In more than 130 medical transports, it has provided them with, among other things, specialized equipment, medicines and 5 equipped ambulances. As part of its projects, it also trains Ukrainian medical personnel and conducts seminars on the rights of Ukrainian patients.

Source: PMM