The birth of a baby is a moment of great joy and celebration for the family. Every mother dreams of giving birth to her precious baby with complete peace of mind. But no one knows what awaits a baby’s fate, and what could turn an occasion of joy into an occasion of sorrow and concern.
We all wish well for an expecting mum and her bundle of joy. But, alas, fact is that there are scores of congenital diseases that could affect a baby—these are medical conditions or disorders existing at or before birth, regardless of cause. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 303,000 newborns die within 4 weeks of birth every year, worldwide, due to congenital anomalies.
In addition, research shows that about 15% of newborns require intensive care at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN). As the name suggests, this is where specialised care is provided to ill or premature newborn infants.
The implications of being born with an illness or a congenital disease are manifold. While for parents, the health of the baby comes first, above everything else, treating a child born with a congenital illness could turn out to be prohibitively expensive too.
While we wish you all the best, dear pregnant mum, how can you not prepare yourself to face any such eventuality?
You expect to deliver a healthy baby but what if…
Like every expecting mum, you too hope to deliver a cute and healthy baby. It’s a fair hope. But what if something goes wrong and your child has to be admitted into the NICU?
Nesa’s (name changed) is one such story. A second time pregnant mum, Nesa was very happy as the date to deliver the baby was approaching nearer and nearer. Her elder daughter had been pleading her for a sibling for many years and finally God had answered her prayers! The pregnancy was going on fine and the doctors expected no complications.
When Nesa went into labour and was admitted into one of her preferred hospitals in Singapore, she too was confident of a smooth delivery and a ride home with her newborn two days later. Another reason for her confidence was the fact that she had delivered her first baby as a normal birth.
Unfortunately, when Nesa delivered the baby, the little one suffered from some breathing difficulties due to accumulation of fluids in his tiny lungs. As a result, he was kept in the NICU for three days under a specialist’s care.
When the baby’s breathing stabilised, he was discharged from the hospital, to Nesa’s great relief. Her eyes welled up with tears when she finally held her baby after three days of separation!
The story ended happily but there was a twist in the tale. Nesa was slapped with an unexpected hospital bill due to the baby’s care at NICU. This expenditure was totally unplanned so Nesa’s family had to help her out at this moment of crisis.
It’s better to be prepared than to be stung by an unpredictable expenditure!
Dear expecting mum, ask ourself: unlike Nesa, are you prepared? In her case, it was a breathing difficulty for her child that led to an unwanted bill. What if her child were to be born with an even more severe congenital disease? Besides the shock, the financial burden would have been even greater.
In Singapore, about 1,000 newborns, or less than 3% per cohort of newborns, were born with congenital anomalies each year (between 2007 to 2009). According to Singapore government, it is common for newborn babies to develop mild neonatal conditions such as jaundice. Between 2007 to 2010, an average of about 5,000 newborns each year had a more serious condition which required hospitalisation for more than 3 days during the neonatal period.
Such serious neonatal conditions which might include congenital diseases too, could affect your newborn. Here are some examples of common congenital diseases:
- Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) - A hole in the wall between the two upper collecting chambers (ASD) or between the two bottom pumping chambers (VSD) in the heart can cause problems for the baby; symptoms can range from no symptoms at all to severe heart failure. Heart failure in a baby results in poor feedings and poor weight gain.
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) - It’s neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child’s brain is under development. It primarily affects the baby’s body movement and muscle coordination.
- Spina Bifida (SB) - In babies with spina bifida, a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly, causing defects in the spinal cord and in the bones of the spine.
- Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip – These are facial and oral malfunctions.
- Infantile hydrocephalus - Hydrocephalus is a condition that occurs when fluid builds up in the skull. It causes the brain to swell. It could also be caused by the Zika virus.1
These are just a few examples. You can read about many congenital illnesses here.
Here’s how you can give birth with total peace of mind
Dear pregnant mum, we know you want the best for your little one who is on the way. And you know what, here is help at hand that will ensure that you enjoy your peace of mind while welcoming the new addition to your family! You don’t need to do anything special for this. Just sign up for this free insurance policy with AIA. It comes absolutely free with maternity bundles at participating hospitals.
The enhanced maternity bundles which now include free AIA Baby Care and AIA Family Care products is an innovation in Singapore, specially designed and created for pregnant mums like you. As a quick snapshot, here’s what you need to know:
- AIA Baby Care offers NICU coverage for 20 congenital illnesses for your newborn at no additional cost; it does not require any underwriting, and it starts from day 1 of your little one’s birth.
- AIA Family Care offers 1 year personal accident coverage for the whole family!
What’s more, enhanced coverage options covering any cause of NICU admission (e.g. Pre-term labour or jaundice) are also available for your benefit.
This free insurance policy is just a call away!
Dear would-be mum, in the past, mums like Nesa did not have the choice but you now have it. You want to deliver your baby in a classy hospital with all amenities, and with a mind free of worries! The AIA Baby Care Insurance offers you exactly that—the best coverage for your newborn! Do visit www.babycare.com.sg for more information, or WhatsApp 90090503 to find out more.
This sponsored article is brought to you by Grinweiv Alliance Pte Ltd (A district under AIA).
Reference:
1www.hydroassoc.org/doctors-find-possible-link-between-zika-and-hydrocephalus/
Read about the best maternity insurance packages in Singapore.