On 17 November the Neonatology Service – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – celebrated World Prematurity Day.

It was a very lively morning that began with the opening of the exhibition “I was a preterm baby…” which featured 20 pieces of work done by parents and former preterms. It also included the participation of a few parents who wrote stories about their preterm infants which are part of a dossier available to parents whose babies have been admitted to the unit.

It was followed by a public session held at the Egas Moniz Building, where Professor Maria do Céu Machado, Director of the Paediatrics Department and Clinical Director of the CHLN welcomed those present. The event was also attended by the Coordinator of the Neonatology Service, Dr Carlos Moniz and Head Nurse Ana Sequeira, who spoke about the Neonatology Unit in the past and the present, revealing a bit of the major evolution of this service in technological terms and also in terms of the growing humanization in the care offered to pre-term babies and their families.

And as the day was about preterms and their families, we invited parents to share their experiences at the Neonatology Unit. The moments of intense emotion were shared not only by parents but also by those who care for these babies and their families on a daily basis.

Read the full article here.