In this week’s episode, we feature a specialty requested by a lot of this podcast's listeners. The 17th of November each year marks World Prematurity Day. It’s a day to raise awareness of the causes and complications of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide. Approximately 15 million babies are born preterm each year, accounting for about one in 10 of all babies born worldwide. It’s a day that's really close to my own heart, as all three of my beautiful children were born premature. My firstborn son was born at 33 and a half weeks, my daughter at 35weeks, and my youngest son born at the the very stroke of 28 weeks gestation. All of them spent some time in the neonatal ICU, or ‘NICU’ before coming home: my firstborn spent exactly 50 days in hospital, my daughter was in NICU for just one night before they gave her the all clear, and our youngest spent 142 days in NICU before coming home! I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to get an episode about prematurity out to coincide with World Prematurity Day, but nevertheless I’m really glad to share this episode with you, which is all about the paediatric sub-specialty of neonatology.
Dr Robin Saggers is a consultant paediatrician and neonatologist at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, who is also currently completing a fellowship in paediatric critical care. Dr Saggers always dreamed of becoming a paediatrician and he shares with us his journey from junior doctor to consultant, and what it is like actually working as a neonatologist.
Thank you to our partners on this week's episode:
AESTHETIKOS - Aesthetikos portrait studio is a photography studio based in Sandton, Johannesburg. In keeping with today’s theme, Aesthetikos offers Newborn and Baby photo sessions that are baby-led, non-posed and result in beautiful portraits of your baby. They also do professional portraits and headshots, so if you’re looking for an upgrade for your professional medical practice, LinkedIn profile or social platforms, check out their website https://www.aesthetikos.art or find them on Instagram with the username @aesthetikos.studio
DIRE WOLF - Dire Wolf is all about protecting the practice, and providing tech-driven financial services to medical professionals. Dire Wolf have given listeners of the Dr Coffee podcast free access to their helpful online curriculum of courses. The courses are HPCSA accredited and will provide you with up to 16 CPD points for completion! All you need to do is register for the courses using the provided DireWolf voucher codes, which you can receive by visiting www.direwolf.co.za/drcoffee
If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that you would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@Dr Coffee ZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
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