Africa-Press – Cape verde. Five newborns died at the Agostinho Neto University Hospital (HUAN) in February, following an increase in the rate of premature births and low-weight babies, the Minister of State, Defense and Parliamentary Affairs announced in parliament today.
“In the month of February, there were five deaths, all premature, with a gestational age between 25 and 31 weeks,” said Janine Lélis, in parliament, in response to the PAICV, the largest opposition party, about an alleged outbreak of neonatal infection at HUAN.
The minister clarified that the babies weighed between 870 and 1870 grams.
Three died from early neonatal infections, of maternal origin, and, in two cases, associated with the care provided and complications of prematurity.
The governor lamented the deaths and said that, in 2024, 976 newborns were hospitalized, most of them premature, with low birth weight, congenital malformations or risk of perinatal infection.
The survival rate was 96.5%, with extreme prematurity being the main cause of death, followed by congenital malformations.
Janine Lélis added that there was an increase in the rate of prematurity and low birth weight in February and early March, with three percentage points more.
The indicators are “within the average mortality rate, but it is essential to reinforce prevention strategies, especially in prenatal care, which makes a big difference in avoiding these situations,” he said.
Two days ago, the newspaper A Nação reported an alleged outbreak of neonatal infection that worries families of babies hospitalized at HUAN.
Among the reports is that of a mother who lost her son on Wednesday, after his health quickly worsened.
“I saw his feet turning purple and no one seemed to have noticed. I called a doctor, who called a nurse. Hours later, I was informed that my son had received a blood transfusion due to anemia. The next day, a Cuban doctor told me that he had an infection, but she couldn’t explain the cause,” the mother said, as quoted by the newspaper.
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