MOTHER and CHILD

SAVING BOTH GENERATIONS:

Every Pregnant Woman is considered to be ‘At-Risk’ of developing a complication. This can also affect the Unborn Child.

 There are known life-threatening Medical Complications that can lead to Maternal and Infant Mortality, as well as Maternal Morbidity, which may occur during pregnancy, labor or childbirth. Few of which include:

• Postpartum Hemorrhage
• Preeclampsia and Eclampsia
• Miscarriage
• Maternal Sepsis, and Postpartum sepsis / Puerperal sepsis
•  Obstructed Labor or Labor Dystocia
• Preterm or Pre-mature birth

 Therefore, series of medical activities must be undertaken with the aim of determining pre-existing medical conditions of women – before and during pregnancy, as well as after childbirth. This is to prevent INDIRECT OBSTETRIC DEATHS by investigating for Indirect Medical Risk Factors.

These are also Community Risk Factors that serve as major obstacles limiting rural people from accessing health services. Such as:

• Poverty
• Distance to facilities
• Lack of information
• Inadequate and poor quality services
• Cultural beliefs and practices

As a result, Infant and Maternal Mortality remain the facts of life. In fact, circumstances for expecting mothers have not been satisfactorily, and the rural communities are the most affected.

HEALTH MILITIA has a responsibility towards this, and has taken the challenge. Therefore,

We defy barriers, traveling on the less traveled routes, Investigate, Find the problem, Intervene, and Blow the Whistle.

WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE

Our ambitious goal is to get rid of Maternal and Infant Mortality especially in the Rural Settings, by focusing on these three most important areas:

1. PREVENTING INDIRECT OBSTETRIC DEATHS: We investigate for the under-listed Indirect Medical Risk Factors that can also trigger Obstetric Complications, then we activate appropriate responses.

Diabetes, Anemia, Malaria, High Blood Pressure, Infections, Heart disease, Kidney Disease, Cholesterol,  Poor Nutrition, Illegal Drugs.

2. COMMUNITY RISK FACTORS:  That is, confronting the Socio-Economic and Cultural Causes of Maternal Mortality.

3. AVOIDING DIRECT OBSTETRIC DEATHS: Applying our Safety- Net protocols, we Collaborate and Mediate to mitigate Health Service Risk Factors responsible for Direct Obstetric Deaths. Join our Team!

‘Integrated Mobile Maternity Laboratory'

SUPPORT THIS INTERVENTION

SAVING BOTH GENERATIONS

The World Health Organization:

Postpartum Haemorrhage: is a loss of 500 ml or more from the genital tract after delivery. (PPH) Note: It is important to remember that a lower level of blood loss can cause the woman’s condition to deteriorate in certain circumstances. This will include the presence of anaemia or other medical conditions e.g. cardiac disease.

Primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is excessive bleeding occurring within 24 hours of delivery.

• A woman can lose 500 ml of blood in one minute due to PPH.
• The average woman has 5 litres of blood in her circulation
• It takes 10 minutes for a woman to become exsanguinated, or to lose all her blood.
• Vital organs – kidneys – may stop functioning if a woman is severely shocked due to PPH.
• It is therefore easy to understand that the midwife must act quickly and efficiently in order to save life in cases of PPH.

CAUSES OF PRIMARY PPH:

– Atonic uterus (due for example to retained placenta or membranes)

-Genital trauma (includes both spontaneous and that caused by management or interference, e.g. instrumental delivery including caesarean section, episiotomy, “gishiri” cut)

– Coagulopathy/clotting failure (rare)

-Inversion of the uterus (rare)

The principles of managing PPH are:

 -Speed

-Skills

-Priorities.

The priorities in managing PPH include:

 -Call for help (to assist in controlling bleeding).

  -Make a rapid assessment of the woman’s condition.  

-Find the cause of the bleeding stop the bleeding. 

-Stabilize or resuscitate the woman.

-Prevent further bleeding.

These are priorities. This means they must be done first and before anything else.

In order to do those things which are most important, it is often necessary to:

 -Change the order of what is usually done (e.g. it is usual to examine a woman from head to toe. If she is already having a postpartum haemorrhage when you are called to her, you need to quickly assess: color, pulse, blood pressure and level of consciousness, how much blood she has already lost and immediately feel her uterus to determine whether it is atonic haemorrhage. This can be done in a few seconds. Further detailed examination can be carried out later.

* Remember delay means death.

  -Identify what must be done in order to save life.

Please Note: The woman will die unless:

 -The bleeding is stopped.

-The woman is resuscitated or her condition is stabilized, this involves maintaining circulatory volume and managing shock.

Details Coming Soon on: Secondary Postpartum Haemorrhage – Which includes excessive bleeding occurring between 24 hours after delivery of the baby and 6 weeks postpartum.

Covid19

We can understand the Silence and the Noise; there is so much in the mind that one can’t really understand. The entire world is in this situation, and no one yet knows How, Where, What, and Who. A dark moment in the world, but light will finally dawn, and we will come out of this looking more beautiful because we have been disciplined by it and have learned a lot from it. Indeed, a time to rethink and be creative. Envisaging a new revolution of our health systems. Stay safe. HEALTH MILITIA……Defying Barriers.