We are a South African Based Parent-Led Organisation that provides Support, Education and Raises Awareness for families affected by Prematurity.

First South African Parent- Representatives for

Our Preemie Journey

Hi, my name is Tasmin Bota.

I am the Founder and Executive

Director of Preemie Connect.


I am also the mom to a preemie baby who was born at 28 weeks gestation, weighing in at 1.08kg, due to placenta abruption.


I started Preemie Connect because there were no support groups at the time, specifically South African based who dealt with prematurity.


Since our inception we have grown in leaps and bounds.

We have been able to be big advocates in the Premature Community.

We are proud Parent Representatives for GLANCE (Global Alliance for Newborn Care)

Our Work

Our biggest focus is providing families with emotional support.

Navigating this journey is often very overwhelming and isolating. Reaching out to parents who are currently in the NICU is important because more often than not parents find themselves thrusted into a world filled with unknowns.

We have an online support group as well as a Whatsapp support group. This allows us to provide parents with immediate support.

We provide a safe space for families to express their emotions, ask questions and get evidence based research and advice

Care Packages

As you can appreciate, when your baby is born too soon you are not prepared.

We believe that by providing the new parents with a care package filled with essentials for both mommy and baby ,we are assisting in alleviating some pressure from an already stressful situation. We accept donations towards our care packages year round.

RSV- Respiratory Synctial Virus

RSV is 1 of the leading causes for re-hospitalisation for alot of premature infants. However RSV can affect all infants under the age of 2.


What is RSV?

RSV is a respiratory virus, which affects the lungs. It may appear as a normal cold.


Signs & Symptomps of RSV:


  • Persistent Coughing & Wheezing
  • Rapid & Shallow Breath
  • Blueish colour around lips and fingernails
  • Spread out nostrils or Caved in Chest
  • Rising or high fevers in Newborns


How is RSV Contracted?

RSV is spread through contact with droplets from the throat or nose. For example when someone coughs or sneezes.

It Can also be left on surfaces that an infected person has touched


Visit our social media pages for more information on RSV


Parts of the Lungs

Research Support & Collaborations

dna structure, medical research background

Our work is dedicated to improving the situation of newborn infants and their families in Africa across the full spectrum of care, promoting and protecting the right to the best start in life.


Supporting research projects and promoting scientific evidence is key to our mission. Preemie Connect’s work relies on generating new knowledge on maternal and newborn health, particularly in the field of neonatal care.


Evaluating the impact of follow-up screening programmes and infant and family-centred developmental care is part of Preemie Connect’s primary research interest.


We are looking for new angles and innovative problem-solutions from the patient’s/parents’ perspective.


Research Support & Collaborations

Areas of research support


We welcome requests from researchers and institutions who seek our support and patient/parent representation at the five principal stages of a research project:


1. Agenda setting and research prioritisation (e.g. gap-analysis, patient-reported outcomes definition, parent representatives coordination)

2. Research design and planning (e.g. development of grant application, review of data collection methods, support with recruitment strategies)

3. Research conduct and operation (e.g. field work, patient information and consent)

4. Data analysis and interpretation (e.g. interpretation from the patient/parent perspective, advice on key messages)

5. Dissemination and communication (e.g. advocacy, campaigning, post-study outreach, and cooperation with patient/parent communities)


Research Support & Collaborations

Our expectations regarding research collaborations:


We believe in co-operation as a fast-track to social development and are excited to work together with co-applicants to achieve common research goals. To make this happen, Preemie Connect expects from research collaborators:


·Timely requests with sufficient time for decision-making and planning (at least 12 weeks notice)

·Adequate financial funds-allocation to cover our involvement

·Involvement in the early stages of the research project’s development and during the application process

·Participation in the project’s steering group

·Leading work on the generation of work packages concerning patient/parent involvement and outreach

·Transparency in every stage of the process (e.g. sharing the final grant application before submission, invitation to meetings)

·Involvement in publication/communication and transparent mentioning of Preemie Connect’s contribution

·Communication on eye-level


Services

Book us for Speaking Engagements & Events


We understand the importance and power of sharing our story as well as providing education and raising awareness.


Book us for you webinars, presentations, postnatal class etc


preemieconnectsa@gmail.com.


We offer Peer-To-Peer Counseling via our various support groups based online and whatsapp with face-to-face classes in the future.


Should you wish to have us host a face-to-face support group or offer training to start your own support group

please contact us

preemieconnectsa@gmail.com


Antenatal Classes:

Services

The current situation is that most parents of preemies only find out about prematurity when their baby is born too soon. At Preemie Connect we want to change that. Although our preferred hope would be that no baby is born too soon the reality of the situation is that in our country 1 in 7 births ends up being premature.


Our goal with our antenatal class is to ensure that every expectant parent is aware about prematurity and do not find themselves caught off guard, should they find themselves having a preemie baby. We want moms-to-be to have knowledge on signs and symptons, know what to expect when entering the NICU and to empower them to be a voice for their child.