Taipei City glows purple for premature babies

2014-11-19

Taipei City’s Xinyi commercial district glowed purple Nov. 17 as part of an international campaign raising awareness of the challenges associated with children born prematurely.

A total of 13 buildings, including landmark Taipei 101 and the headquarters of state-owned oil firm CPC Corp., took part in World Prematurity Day—an initiative organized locally by Premature Baby Foundation of Taiwan.

“Each year, around 10 percent of Taiwan’s newborns are premature,” PBF President Lee Hung-chang said. “With 55 such babies arriving every day, their parents are confronted with numerous frustrations and worries.”

According to Lee, premature birth is the leading killer of newborns worldwide. “Infants who survive an early birth often face other health challenges throughout their lives, including breathing problems, cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities,” he said.

The first international awareness day for preterm birth was launched in 2008 by European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants, Little Big Souls International Charitable Foundation and March of Dimes Foundation. It has been marked since 2011 as World Prematurity Day.

Planned activities this year include lighting in purple major global landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, Empire State Building, Parliament House in Brisbane and Peace Bridge near Niagara Falls.

Established by Mackay Memorial Hospital in 1992, PBF started out subsidizing medical care expenses for premature babies. After the National Health Insurance program kicked off three years later, the foundation transformed to educate the public about prematurity. It initiated the related Good to Grow program in 2012.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224102&CtNode=413)