Baby A., 1

Baby Alice is the youngest child in her family and lives with her siblings, grandmother, aunts and uncle in a two-room mud-walled house. Her mother has a mental health condition and cannot provide consistent care, leaving Alice dependent on her grandmother, a subsistence farmer with limited resources. Alice’s mother developed significant behavioural changes, repeatedly leaving home to live on the streets. The family’s attempts to obtain treatment were unsuccessful because in the process of raising funds, she frequently disappeared. She was later found pregnant and brought home, but left again before she could begin antenatal care. Weeks later, community members found her in a dilapidated house after she had delivered, with Baby Alice lying on the floor. The area chief and Children Services officers rescued them. Alice was admitted to the Newborn Unit at Siaya County Referral Hospital for assessment and close monitoring, while her mother was admitted to the psychiatric unit. Alice’s grandmother assumed responsibility for the baby but could not afford the hospital bill. Through the Children Services and social work offices, she was referred to Helpster Charity for assistance.

Baby Alice’s low birth weight and unsafe birth circumstances place her at increased risk of hypothermia, hypoglycaemia, dehydration, malnutrition and neonatal infection. Admission and close monitoring are necessary to support feeding, maintain body temperature, monitor weight and vital signs, and promptly manage infection. Her prognosis is favourable with consistent newborn care, adequate nutrition and a safe caregiving environment. She is expected to gain weight and develop well with continued follow-up.