TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Ronald McDonald House Charities Taiwan donated two additional intensive-care infant incubators to National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital to help the institution enhance care for newborns and premature babies.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the hospital said that in Taiwan, about one in every 100 babies is born prematurely, weighing less than 1,500 grams. Last year, the hospital treated roughly 80 premature infants, per CNA. Including transfers from other facilities, the number of cases exceeds 100 annually.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Taiwan Chair Hubert Lee (李昌霖) said the organization launched its infant incubator donation program in 2018. Since then, it has provided 50 advanced incubators to 19 hospitals across Taiwan for pediatric use, including 12 units donated to the hospital over the past seven years.

Tsao Po-nien (曹伯年), the hospital’s pediatric director, said traditional incubators need to be opened for procedures like intubation or intravenous injections, which can affect temperature control. The new intensive-care incubators have built-in batteries to help regulate temperature and breathing, and can be fully opened in emergencies to allow medical procedures.

While Taiwan’s birth rate has fallen, premature births are on the rise, partly due to older maternal age, Tsao noted. Last year, the hospital delivered 2,282 babies and cared for 560 critically ill infants, whose 24-hour monitoring in incubators helps reduce infection and complication risks, he added.

Xiao En (小恩), a child born prematurely and diagnosed with a rare disease before birth, also attended the event. The child spent eight months in the hospital, undergoing two heart surgeries and a lung surgery. During that period, the charity provided the family with accommodation, meals, and transportation.

On Nov. 22, the hospital held a celebration for premature infants who recovered, welcoming over 80 families who shared their stories and thanked the hospital. One case featured a seven-year-old girl born at 24 weeks weighing 718 grams, who faced complications including respiratory problems, lung bleeding, and retinopathy. She recovered after six months in the hospital.