Italian
Illuminated hospitals, dedicated kits, and solidarity initiatives to remember the babies born too soon and the value of neonatal care
TREVISO. On November 17th, like every year, the world turns purple to celebrate the World Prematurity Day, an occasion dedicated to reflecting on the fragility – but also the extraordinary strength – of babies who begin their lives too early. It is a day of awareness and hope, inviting us to recognize how precious the first moments of life are and how essential it is to ensure that premature newborns have “the best possible start”, the claim chosen for this year’s edition.
The initiatives: a community united by the color purple
In the territory of Ulss 2, hospitals, volunteers, associations, and families are mobilizing to raise awareness about prematurity through a series of symbolic and concrete initiatives.
The hospitals of Ulss 2 will be illuminated in purple starting from the weekend, a gesture that aims to draw public attention to a reality that is often silent but very widespread.
Parents of hospitalized newborns will receive a purple mini kit, a gift from the Il Pulcino association, while purple outfits provided by Cuore di Maglia will be distributed to all the little guests of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
On Saturday, November 15th, in the morning, at Piazza S. Maria dei Battuti in Treviso and in Piazza Giorgione in Castelfranco Veneto, parents and volunteers will organize a solidarity booth offering purple hyacinths, the flower symbol of prematurity and the Il Pulcino association: a premature bloom that, just like these children, needs care, dedication, and protection.
The color purple thus becomes the common thread of all activities: a symbol of strength, fragility, courage, and rebirth, but above all of the bond that unites families, healthcare workers, and associations.
Prematurity: the data in Italy and the role of the TIN in Treviso
In 2024, according to data from CEDAP and INNSIN, in Italy 22,782 premature babies were born, accounting for 6.1% of births. Thanks to advances in perinatal medicine, the survival rate at discharge has reached 96%, a remarkable achievement.
However, prematurity remains a complex condition: preterm infants still account for 70% of deaths within the first month and 75% of neonatal morbidity, with possible repercussions on neurocognitive, respiratory, and sensory development.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ca’ Foncello Hospital is a reference point for the provinces of Treviso and Belluno, being one of the four level III NICUs in Veneto. Every year, it welcomes about 350 newborns, mostly premature, born before the 37th week.
Prematurity, in addition to being a clinical challenge, has a profound impact on families and the entire socio-healthcare network, requiring intensive care pathways and support that often continues for years after discharge.
Advanced care and family-centeredness: projects in TIN
The TIN of Treviso combines advanced technologies with an approach that puts the family at the center. Among the most significant projects stands out the Kangaroo Care, offered to all parents as soon as the baby is stabilized, with a 100% adherence rate in newborns born between 23 and 32 weeks.
Skin-to-skin contact, voice, and the presence of parents are not just emotional comfort: science has long confirmed that they represent an essential part of care. For this reason, the unit promotes open environments 24/7 and constant involvement, supported by a multidisciplinary team composed of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, and a dedicated psychologist.
Fundamental is also the collaboration with the association Il Pulcino, thanks to which the Spazio Giallo was created, a place for listening and sharing where families can find support from those who have gone through the same journey.
Beyond the numbers: the stories that give meaning to the Day
Behind the statistics are the stories of families facing an unexpected and often difficult journey, of departments that support tiny lives every day, of professionals who become reference points, guides, and indispensable presences.
Ensuring that children born too early not only have the chance to survive but to live their best lives is a collective responsibility.
It means investing in their future and, with it, in the future of everyone.
World Prematurity Day reminds us that every life, even the most fragile, deserves protection, care, and a beginning full of possibilities.
