So small they could fit inside the heart: UNICEF continues fundraising to provide a mobile X-ray machine for the Neonatology Center in Kragujevac

Belgrade, February 10, 2025 – UNICEF continues its campaign "So small they could fit inside  the heart" to procure a much-needed mobile X-ray machine for the Neonatology Centre in Kragujevac.

“The mobile X-ray machine is extremely important in intensive neonatal care units because it eliminates the need to transport babies to another building where diagnostic centers are usually located. These are extremely small patients, weighing from 600 grams and up, at 25 gestational weeks, most of whom are on mechanical ventilation or suffer from complications such as pneumothorax or necrotizing enterocolitis. It is crucial that they remain in place, as any change in temperature, mechanical movement, or external stimulation poses an additional trauma for them.

In addition to allowing imaging without additional trauma while the baby is still in the incubator, the X-ray machine should also have a monitor so that doctors can immediately assess the issue and react promptly. Every second counts in neonatology when treating the most vulnerable infants,” says Dr. Dragana Ristić, Head of the Neonatology Center at the Pediatric Clinic of the University Clinical Center in Kragujevac.

In the previous phase of the campaign, UNICEF raised 12,345,687 dinars thanks to the support of citizens and companies. These funds were used to purchase incubators, skin-to-skin contact chairs for parents and newborns, resuscitation tables, infusion pumps, and equipment for developmental care of newborns in neonatal units in Niš, Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Kragujevac.

The Neonatology Center in Kragujevac receives premature and critically ill newborns from 13 maternity hospitals in central Serbia.

UNICEF calls on citizens and companies to donate, according to their means, to help purchase the mobile X-ray machine and contribute to better survival and development conditions for premature and critically ill newborns. The cost of the mobile X-ray machine is 13,900,000 dinars.

For donation methods, please visit donacije.unicef.rs.

Additional Information:

Every day in Serbia, 10 babies are born prematurely, and 7 of them require intensive neonatal care. Every moment matters in the lives of premature babies, as their fight for survival begins the moment they enter the world. To survive, they need specialized medical support and proper equipment.

Premature births are responsible for 60% of newborn deaths and 42% of deaths among children under the age of five in Serbia. Regional differences in healthcare availability and quality further reduce the chances of survival for premature babies. In regions served by Kragujevac and Niš, newborn mortality rates are 1.5 to 2 times higher than in Belgrade and Vojvodina. This is why new medical equipment is especially needed in neonatal units in Kragujevac and Niš.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia, in long-term cooperation with UNICEF, continuously works to improve the quality of perinatal and neonatal healthcare through the introduction of modern standards, procurement of equipment, and training of medical staff. Thanks to these investments, Serbia's newborn mortality rate has decreased – from 4.63 per 1,000 live births in 2010 to 3.06 in 2023.

However, this is still not enough, as premature babies continue to be born every day and fight for survival.