Parents of premature babies undergoing intensive care treatment at University Hospital Galway can now avail of a special parents’ room which opened in the neonatal unit recently. The unit serves the west and north-west.
The hospital recently upgraded a room which is being used by parents who have to travel long distances to visit their babies who are undergoing treatment.
Dr Johannes Letshwiti, a consultant neonatologist at UHG, said the neonatal unit cares for babies from “as far away as Donegal to the north and east to the Midlands”.
The distances involved means it can be difficult for these parents to visit their babies daily, particularly if they spend a long time in hospital.
“We care for babies who are born prematurely and the length of time babies spend with us ranges from 1 day to over 4 months. Most of the infants who stay with us for a few months have birth weights less than 1,500g and those born weighing less than 1,000g stay even longer. Once the babies are stable, we can arrange for them to transfer back to their local hospital for continued care whether that be to Letterkenny, Sligo, Mayo, or Portiuncula University Hospitals.”
The ensuite parents’ room aims to be as homely as possible. “It includes a resting area, a cot, a TV, telephone, and emergency call bell. We also have a fridge and kettle for parents to prepare drinks or light snacks. We book the room on a daily basis depending on the needs of the parents of the babies in the unit at any particular time.”
Parents can spend a night in the room with their baby before he/she goes home to help support their confidence. Dr Letshwiti says this may be particularly helpful for parents of babies who have been in hospital for a long time.
“It is like a stepping stone to going home and staff are available throughout the night to give a helping hand if it is needed.
“We are fortunate to have a parents’ room and we are grateful to the local businesses for donations which helped renovate the room. One room doesn’t meet the accommodation needs for parents living within the Saolta group region who cannot commute on a daily basis to see their babies in the neonatal unit here in Galway, but it is a start.”
