Abuja: A Lagos-based specialist neonatal hospital, Babies Matter Medical Centre (BMMC), has received two international honours at the LUXlife Parent and Baby Awards 2026 in the UK.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the hospital announced on Friday that it was awarded the Best Advanced Neonatal Care Centre 2026-Nigeria and the Preterm Infant Medicine Excellence Award 2026 for its notable contributions to specialist neonatal intensive care. This recognition marks a significant milestone for the hospital, which has become a referral centre for the treatment of premature and critically ill newborns in Nigeria.
The hospital’s statement also revealed that as part of the honours, Babies Matter Medical Centre will be featured on the front cover of the forthcoming edition of LUXlife magazine, highlighting its growing international profile.
Reacting to the awards, Dr. Zainab Mudasiru, the co-founder of the hospital, described the recognition as validation for the crucial role of timely specialist intervention in enhancing the survival of vulnerable newborns. She emphasized the importance of early care, stating, “At Babies Matter, every minute counts. We have seen babies born too early, too sick or too small to go home simply because they received the right care within the first two hours after birth.”
Dr. Mudasiru noted that the awards celebrate not only professional excellence but also the resilience of premature babies, the trust of families who rely on the centre, and the dedication of its personnel. She recalled a success story from the hospital involving twins born at just 25 weeks’ gestation. The parents of the twins described the facility as a lifeline during the babies’ 78-day admission in the neonatal intensive care unit.
She explained that following their transfer to the United Kingdom at 36 weeks with medical support coordinated by Babies Matter, UK doctors confirmed the exceptional care the twins had received in Nigeria. All necessary medical interventions had been appropriately carried out on the twins.
Dr. Mudasiru also called on obstetricians, maternity hospitals, IVF clinics, and surrogacy agencies to enhance referral systems for high-risk pregnancies, emphasizing that prompt access to specialist neonatal care can significantly improve survival rates and long-term health outcomes for premature infants. She warned against delays in accessing proper neonatal support, which often lead to preventable complications, disabilities, or death.
She concluded by stating that the international recognition reinforces the hospital’s commitment to advancing neonatal care in Nigeria, demonstrating that premature and critically ill newborns can receive world-class treatment within the country when timely referrals are matched with specialist expertise.