These infants typically weigh between 750g and 1.2kg, far below the recommended newborn weight of 3kg.
To aid their survival, preterm babies are given surfactant medication to support lung development. Kangaroo care, where mothers engage in skin-to-skin contact with their infants, has proven effective in enhancing the physical and neurological health of preterm babies.
"Kangaroo care regulates the baby's body temperature, helps conserve energy, and promotes weight gain and brain development," he noted.
Research indicates that preterm infants who receive 60- to 120-minute kangaroo care sessions show significant improvements in reflexes, attention, and response to stimuli. Additional benefits include better sleep, faster weight gain, and earlier hospital discharge.
Dr Lubanga stressed that much needs to be done in Bungoma County to reduce preterm births, noting contributing factors such as infections, narrow birth canals in teenage mothers, diabetes, and hypertension.
"Women should have children at the right time to avoid complications," he advised, urging expectant mothers to attend all recommended antenatal care (ANC) visits.
Susan Nangila, Deputy Nursing Officer in charge of the newborn unit at Bungoma County Referral Hospital, highlighted the global burden of prematurity.
"Globally, 3.4 million babies are born prematurely annually, with 1 million dying each year," she said.
In Kenya, an estimated 134 premature babies are born daily, 37 per cent of whom die within their first year.
At the Bungoma facility, approximately 160 babies are admitted monthly, 75 per cent of whom are preterm.
Nangila stated that prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal mortality in the region.
"Prematurity can often be prevented, but its management is resource-intensive, particularly in terms of respiratory, infection, and nutritional support," she concluded, emphasising the importance of awareness and prevention measures.