The first baby has arrived! One of the mothers in the program gave birth to a baby boy on May 2.
Lack of adequate prenatal, delivery and neonatal care contributes to high levels of maternal and infant mortality in Haiti. Poor nutrition due to both lack of resources and lack of knowledge leads to low birthweight babies and malnourished children. This program addresses these problems by providing education and medical attention to expecting mothers and the newborns and intervention when issues first arise.
Eleven women are currently enrolled in the prenatal/infant care program which began in January. The women gather a minimum of once a month for a class on topics including how to care for oneself while pregnant, the importance of proper nutrition, fetal development, warning signs, and breastfeeding. The classes are taught by one of the Haitian nurses at the clinic in St. Ard. Each woman’s blood pressure and weight are checked monthly. They receive prenatal vitamins and see the doctor or nurse for more thorough exams three times during the pregnancy. They receive visits by the nurse in the first week after giving birth to ensure that the baby and mother are doing well and that there are no problems with breastfeeding. A “welcome baby” gift containing some baby necessities like onesies, lotion, soap, and blankets is given to each mother. After the babies are born, the mothers will have monthly meetings for an additional six months so that the health of the mother and the baby can be monitored and so they can receive instruction on infant care and child development.
Lack of adequate prenatal, delivery and neonatal care contributes to high levels of maternal and infant mortality in Haiti. Poor nutrition due to both lack of resources and lack of knowledge leads to low birthweight babies and malnourished children. This program addresses these problems by providing education and medical attention to expecting mothers and the newborns and intervention when issues first arise.
Eleven women are currently enrolled in the prenatal/infant care program which began in January. The women gather a minimum of once a month for a class on topics including how to care for oneself while pregnant, the importance of proper nutrition, fetal development, warning signs, and breastfeeding. The classes are taught by one of the Haitian nurses at the clinic in St. Ard. Each woman’s blood pressure and weight are checked monthly. They receive prenatal vitamins and see the doctor or nurse for more thorough exams three times during the pregnancy. They receive visits by the nurse in the first week after giving birth to ensure that the baby and mother are doing well and that there are no problems with breastfeeding. A “welcome baby” gift containing some baby necessities like onesies, lotion, soap, and blankets is given to each mother. After the babies are born, the mothers will have monthly meetings for an additional six months so that the health of the mother and the baby can be monitored and so they can receive instruction on infant care and child development.
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