Around 20 newborns under 500 grams are born annually in Czechia

In recent years, between 20 and 30 extremely premature babies weighing less than 500 grams have been born each year in the Czech Republic.

At the Institute for the Care of Mother and Child in Prague-Podolí, doctors are currently caring for five such infants; the smallest weighed just 390 grams at birth. They are given caffeine, and milk is administered to them by spoon.

“Each hospitalization of an extremely premature newborn represents thousands of hours of specialized care and enormous commitment from the entire team,” said Jan Širc from Charles University.

While mothers and babies after uncomplicated births are often discharged from hospital after 48 hours, extremely premature newborns remain in hospital for an average of 140 days—almost half a year.