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Midwife Helena di Mattia demonstrates the Concord Birth Trolly with a baby doll. © Rolf Oeser
The Frankfurt Bürgerhospital receives a donation of modern equipment for the initial care of premature babies.
In order to stabilize premature babies in their acute situation, the umbilical cord is cut within a minute and the newborn is taken to another room for care. As has been shown in recent years, later cord cutting would have particular advantages for premature babies. Blood pressure remains stable and the risk of brain haemorrhage decreases. Proximity to the mother is also beneficial for the immune system. The Bürgerhospital recently acquired a device that enables later cord cutting.
Using this so-called “Concord Birth Trolly,” the cord cutting can be delayed for up to 15 minutes. After birth, the child is initially placed on one arm of the device, so it remains close to the mother and can still receive first aid. The device has a monitoring system, heat lamp and breathing device. Thanks to the machine, the mortality rate of premature babies could be reduced by 20 percent.
The maternity clinic at the Bürgerhospital was able to purchase the Concord Birth Trolly thanks to a donation from the Dr. Christ’sche Foundation and the Friedrichsheim Foundation. The town’s elder Ernst Gerhardt was present at the official handover on Tuesday on behalf of the Friedrichsheim Foundation. The 103-year-old and the representative of the Dr. Christ’sche Foundation, Cathrin Schleussner, were explained the special features of the device by the head of neonatology, Steffen Kunzmann. “Now humans are learning from nature. Most animals only cut the umbilical cord after one or two hours,” says Kunzmann.
Obstetrics
The maternity clinic of the Bürgerhospital in Frankfurt has the highest birth rate in Germany. More than 4,000 children are born here every year.
One percent of births are premature babies. Premature and multiple births are a focus of the clinic.
For more security during pregnancy and childbirth, was remodeled in 2019. The maternity ward, operating rooms and neonatology have since been located one above the other. This ensures shorter routes. prth
Without the connection to the placenta, the child’s organs must immediately begin to work independently. In premature babies or children weighing less than 1500 grams, the organs, especially the lungs, are underdeveloped. Good lung maturity is important for a problem-free birth. If the lungs do not open or close again, this must be done manually. In premature babies, the lungs are sometimes so underdeveloped that the child must be resuscitated immediately. The breathing device is necessary for this, so that in such cases, action can still be taken quickly and the advantages of late cord cutting can be benefited. By being close to the child and to what is happening, parents can cope better with the premature birth.
Since the device for premature babies is still relatively new, the theoretical advantages must now be proven in practice. However, experience from other clinics currently confirms the positive effects. In the coming months, the doctors and midwives at the Bürgerhospital’s maternity clinic will familiarize themselves with the €65,000 device so that every move is made in an emergency and better care can be provided in the future. (Theresa Ross)
Steffen Kunzmann (l.) and Christoph Zweyrohn in conversation with Ernst Gerhardt (seated). © Bürgerhospital
