Before AmeriCares began working in Kosovo, babies like the Zogegani triplets, born nine weeks premature, had little hope of surviving. Today, Enis, Erenes, and Enesa—two boys and a girl— are home, healthy and thriving, due in part to AmeriCares donation of a lifesaving drug that was previously unavailable in this war-torn country.
At birth, the gravest threat to the tiny babies was respiratory distress syndrome, a dangerous and common condition among preemies with underdeveloped lungs. Fortunately, the triplets were treated at the University Clinical Center Kosovo’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with a surfactant-replacement drug delivered by AmeriCares.
"This biological product prevents the air sacs in the lungs from collapsing when the baby exhales, allowing more oxygen to flow to vital organs, and helping to save the smallest and most fragile patients," said AmeriCares Medical Director, Dr. Frank Bia.
After a month-long stay in the neonatal unit, their joyful mother was able to bring her three babies home, with a good outlook for survival.
Hope and progress where there once was none
The triplets are among a growing number of babies that are thriving, thanks to a long-standing partnership between AmeriCares, Abbott, and the Foundation for Healthy Mothers and Babies. In the past four years, AmeriCares has delivered 1,150 vials of the surfactant-replacement drug for use in the hospital’s NICU. In 2012 alone, an estimated 150 preterm babies will benefit.
At one time, preemies born to Kosovar mothers suffered the highest rate of infant mortality in Europe, neonatal intensive care units were nonexistent, and preterm infants had no access to costly, leading-edge drugs like the one that saved the triplets.
Today, infant mortality rates in some weight profiles—including low-birth weight infants—have dropped by 50 percent.
