Helping Babies Breathe Initiative

The more I learn about clean birth kits and their usage, the more I understand how trained attendants are critical to the survival of moms and babies.

One amazing program that I have learned of is Helping Babies Breath.  This program trains midwifes, doctors,  nurses, and “in certain circumstances” traditional birth attendants in  neonatal resuscitation.  Here’s more:

The Curriculum

Helping Babies Breathe is a neonatal resuscitation curriculum for resource-limited circumstances. It was developed on the premise that assessment at birth and simple newborn care are things that every baby deserves. The initial steps taught in HBB can save lives and give a much better start to many babies who struggle to breathe at birth. The focus is to meet the needs of every baby born.

The Golden Minute®

Helping Babies Breathe emphasizes skilled attendance at birth, assessment of every baby, temperature support, stimulation to breathe, and assisted ventilation as needed, all within “The Golden Minute” after birth.

This article from USAID on The Golden Minute® is also worth a read.

 To reach five years, though, a child must take his or her first breath of life in the first minute following birth. The World Health Organization estimates approximately one million babies die each year from birth asphyxia, a condition in which babies who do not breathe on their own immediately following delivery.