A CHILDREN’S hospital charity has called on residents to support premature and sick babies as they launch their Christmas Appeal.

Crosshouse Children’s Fund are raising funds to purchase specialist heated cots and equipment for the Ayrshire Maternity Unit (AMU) to allow tiny tots to receive extra care by their mothers bedsides.

The fund, which launched in May is hoping to help support the unit where more than 3,000 babies from across Ayrshire are born each year and which cares for hundreds of babies who are born prematurely or sick.

Being born early or poorly can result in babies being taken to the Neonatal Unit for special treatment, where they are separated from their mothers.

Crosshouse Children’s Fund hopes the appeal will help prevent these admissions by supporting the Transitional Care Unit.

Attica Wheeler, Head of Midwifery (Associate Nurse Director Women and Children’s Services), said: “In the past, babies with modest additional care needs would have required admission to our Neonatal Unit, separating Mums from their babies.

“Now, we can avoid this separation through our Transitional Care unit, allowing these babies to be cared for primarily by thei r mother s, fully supported by trained staff.

“To allow us to increase the number of babies that are cared for in Transitional Care, through Crosshouse Children’s Fund, we hope to purchase specialised cots to keep more mothers with their babies.”

Amy Aitken, regional fundraising manager at Crosshouse Children’s Fund, said: “This is Crosshouse Children’s Fund’s first Christmas Appeal and it will support premature and sick babies fr om ac ros s Ayrshire and Arran.

“We hope to purchase additional specialist cots and enhanced medical equipment for the Transitional Care Unit to keep more mums and babies together during those precious early days.