Premature Births Surge in Gaza as Strained Hospitals Fight to Save Newborns

Noor Salem, 30, watches her newborn son Yazan Al-Khalidi through the quartz glass of an incubator at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. Born eight months into her pregnancy, Yazan appeared bluish at birth and struggled to breathe, requiring immediate transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit.

For Noor, the experience is compounded by grief. She lost her first baby shortly after birth during the 2025 famine in Gaza. Throughout her pregnancy with Yazan, she faced shortages of basic necessities and lived with the constant fear of losing another child.

"I was afraid throughout my pregnancy because I had already lost my baby before. I was afraid I would go through the same pain again," she said. "When he was born, and I saw that he was not moving or crying like other babies, I felt terrified. I did not know what would happen to him. All I wanted was for him to survive."

Rising Premature Births and Maternal Health Decline

Since October 7, 2023, Gaza has seen a sharp increase in premature births, underweight newborns, stillbirths, and birth defects. UNICEF has repeatedly warned about the crisis, reporting that one in every five newborns requires intensive neonatal or thermal care.

Multiple factors are driving this trend. Maternal malnutrition, prolonged psychological stress, and declining access to prenatal care services have all taken a toll on both mothers and children. Dr. Afnan Abu Hasaballah, an obstetrician and gynecologist working with UNRWA and Al-Awda Health Hospital in Nuseirat refugee camp, has witnessed the impact firsthand.

She notes that many pregnant women arrive at hospitals suffering from severe stress and exhaustion after repeated displacement, deprivation of essential goods, and exposure to bombings. Constant fear, lack of food and clean water, and limited access to prenatal care have all increased the risk of premature birth.

The Israeli siege on Gaza has led to severe malnutrition, one of the primary issues affecting expectant mothers and their fetuses. Inadequate nutrition raises the risk of anemia, exhaustion, pregnancy complications, and restricted fetal growth, resulting in more premature births and low birthweights.

"Many pregnant women during the war were unable to access sufficient or balanced food, and this directly affected the health of mothers and newborns," Dr. Abu Hasaballah said.

Overwhelmed Healthcare Infrastructure

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is the only facility with a neonatal unit in all of central Gaza, serving thousands of expectant mothers and placing immense pressure on already overstretched health workers. Staff face shortages of incubators, ventilators, medications, and basic supplies, compounded by repeated power and fuel outages that pose direct threats to babies in incubators.

Premature infants require continuous monitoring, oxygen, respiratory support, proper nutrition, and treatment — resources that health workers with limited supplies cannot always provide. When these resources become unavailable, the risk of serious complications rises, including breathing difficulties, low body temperature, infections, and low blood sugar.

"Unfortunately, we may lose babies who could have survived if they had received basic care," Dr. Abu Hasaballah said.

The separation of mothers from their newborns shortly after birth is among the most difficult experiences for families. Instead of holding their babies, mothers watch them transferred directly to incubators or intensive care units. Their fear is compounded by the broader impact of the conflict on medical equipment, electricity, and hospital overcrowding.

"We continued working day and night without sleep, and we did everything we could to save every child, but in many cases, the babies' needs were greater than the resources available," Dr. Abu Hasaballah said.

Challenges After Discharge

Once parents and babies are discharged, a new struggle begins. Essential baby care items such as sterilization kits and baby formula are either absent or unaffordable. Many families who have been displaced have lost everything, leaving mothers without baby clothes, diapers, blankets, formula, or clean water.

In Nuseirat refugee camp, the Qutoof Al-Khair Foundation supports pregnant women and newborns by providing vitamins, nutritional supplements, medicines, and essential medical supplies. Akram Abu Jiab, head of the foundation, says staff are dealing with growing demand from pregnant women and new mothers who cannot access enough food and healthcare.

"Premature babies require special care and continuous medical follow-up even after being discharged from incubators," he said. "However, many families are facing significant challenges in securing the basic medical and nutritional needs of their children."

Despite the foundation's efforts, the scale of need far exceeds available resources, and the gap between needs and support continues to grow daily.

"Behind every baby born in Gaza is a mother trying to protect her child under exceptional circumstances," Abu Jiab said. "Supporting mothers and children at this stage is not a luxury; it is a necessity to protect the lives of the next generation."

The stories of families like Noor Salem's highlight the human cost of a healthcare crisis that shows no signs of abating. As premature births continue to rise and medical resources remain scarce, the survival of Gaza's most vulnerable newborns hangs in the balance. If this story resonated with you, please share it to help raise awareness about the challenges facing mothers and newborns in Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera English