Neonatology, the art of saving the first smiles

 HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 10 (ACN) Committed to the health of newborn babies in critical condition, Yaimara Rodriguez belongs to a new generation of neonatologists who turn their calling and dedication into positive results for the Cuban health system.

On the occasion of World Neonatologist Day on June 10, Dr. Rodriguez remarked that providing care to children is a beautiful task, but doing it for preterm babies who are fighting for their life makes even more sense and demands a great deal of research and constant updates of one’s knowledge about disease and their symptoms.

“Dealing with the family is also part of it all, since you need to assuage their anguish and desperation and even be a comforting psychologies or friend”, she pointed out.

Patience and tenderness are essential in this profession, said the doctor, who never thinks of death, but rather of hope, the smile on the baby's face, and the family’s gratitude for keeping their child out of danger.

Stories like that of Dr. Rodriguez bear testimony to the fact that one’s vocation knows no timetable: she chose life, which she defends with love, science and humanity.

Dating back to 1961, neonatal care in Cuba has contributed to reducing the infant mortality rate every year, with its best result (3.9) in 2018, the lowest yet in the history of this Caribbean island.