Ivonne A., 21

Ivonne is the only child of a single mother who left her in the care of her grandmother at a young age and has never reached out since. She now lives with her grandparents and six cousins in a modest three-room mud house. The family relies solely on the grandmother, as Ivonne’s grandfather lost both arms in an accident and is unable to work. The grandmother earns a small income as a community health volunteer, and the family survives on a hand-to-mouth basis due to limited resources. Ivonne dropped out of school in Form Two. She is known for her calm nature and often plays the role of peacemaker among her cousins when they quarrel. Being a community health volunteer, the grandmother began to notice unusual behavior in Ivonne - frequent morning vomiting and excessive sleeping, which was unlike her usual early-rising self. When questioned, Ivonne initially denied being pregnant. However, after the grandmother threatened to take her to the hospital, she admitted the truth. She was two months pregnant, and her grandmother promptly took her to the antenatal clinic. Ivonne faithfully attended five ANC visits, each time walking 30 minutes to the clinic. On one particular day, she began complaining of a headache and fever. Her grandmother wrote her a referral letter to a nearby health center, where she was diagnosed with malaria and discharged with oral medication. Unfortunately, Ivonne did not take the medication as prescribed, and her condition worsened, leading to lower back pain. Concerned, her grandmother took her to another facility, where they were referred to Siaya County Referral Hospital. There, Ivonne gave birth prematurely at seven months.

Ivonne was brought to the hospital complaining of headache and fever and lower back pain. Initially she had fallen sick but did not finish her dosage and as a result her condition worsened. When she was brought to the facility she went into labour giving birth to a preterm baby at 7 months. The baby was promptly admitted to the NBU. Ivonne was managed post partum and she recovered well. She was eventually discharged home. A call to her, a week after discharge, revealed that she was fully recovered and could do house chores as she takes care of her newborn.

The prognosis for preterm labor depends on the gestational age at delivery, available medical resources, and overall health of the mother and baby. Generally, the earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk of complications and the lower the survival rate. However, with advancements in neonatal care, survival rates are increasing for even very premature babies