could only touch my baby through a glass window... no mother wants that

Dancer relives early birth ordeal during Africa visit

- DAN WARBURTON

OTI Mabuse has relived the distressing early birth of her own baby after jetting 5,000km to West Africa to meet mothers nursing their premature tots.

The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 34, returned to a neonatal unit for the first time since she endured a 16-hour labour with her daughter, who arrived two months early weighing just 3lb in October 2023.

The baby spent the next six weeks in intensive care after she was born with an infection and Oti also developed sepsis.

Baby and mother recovered, but the Dancing On Ice judge has revealed the trauma they experienced after visiting a UNICEF-funded specialist clinic in the Cote d'Ivoire.

In the city of Abidjan she saw how premature babies are receiving life-saving treatment and daily support including the UNICEF programme known as Kangaroo Mother Care, which promotes the benefits of skin-on-skin contact.

Reflecting on her experience as a new mum, Oti said: "I remember the only way I could touch my child and have skin-on-skin was through this glass window there is - no mother who wants to experience that."

According to UNICEF, globally last year an estimated 4.8 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday, including 2.3 million newborns who died within the first 28 days of life.

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