CleanBirth - Saving Mothers and Babies in Laos

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CleanBirth.org Connecting to Yale

I never expected, when I finished my MA from Yale at 24, that I would live in New Haven again.  At that age, I wanted a big, foreign city and both Moscow and Bangkok filled that need.  But when it came time to raise kids, New Haven turned out to be just the place.  Close to family and chock full of people like us:  bi-lingual, politically liberal, lovers of world cuisine.

This community, which has Yale University at it’s heart, is proving to be a a great support for CleanBirth.org.  In the past few weeks, I have met with a film professor, nursing student organizer, Biomedical researcher, professor of Public Health and Dean of a College.  I have joined the planning committee of Yale Women CT.  All of these Yale men and women have offered to introduce me to others and to support Clean Birth.org.  I am very grateful.

There is also research going on at Yale which directly pertains to CleanBirth.org’s work.  In particular, Yale’s Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI) has looked at ways that effective maternal and child health programs can be scaled-up.  Their recommendations will certainly inform CleanBirth.org’s program in Laos.

Yale is such an amazing resource and one I will increasingly use.

Laos Needs More Midwives

This article sums it up. Laos needs more midwives. Like 15,000 more. In addition to lack of total trained midwives “the distribution of medical staff is not properly balanced and most medical staff and recent graduates are unwilling to work in rural areas.” This is a critical issue — and once which I hope to do something about.

Laos needs more midwives to stem maternal mortalityOunkham Pimmata Vientiane Times Publication Date : 18-09-2012

Laos will fail to reach its Millennium Development Goal of reducing the maternal mortality rate by 2015 without more trained midwives and easier access to health services.

The country has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Southeast Asia, Sally Sakukhu, from the Maternal Neonatal and Child Health Unit of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), told the media recently.

In 2005, 450 women out of every 100,000 live deliveries died in the process of giving birth. The government wants to reduce the ratio to 260 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015.

The latest figures show the ratio is still 300 deaths per 100,000 live births – which presents a challenge to authorities concerned about reaching the target within three years.

“There aren’t enough midwives to help pregnant women in rural areas. In these parts of the country, 5 per cent of pregnant women will lose their life giving birth,” Sakukhu said.

Another problem is that many midwives are undertrained and don’t have the skills to help pregnant women give birth.

The government plans to improve medical services at rural health dispensaries. Each dispensary should have at least five medical staff. The government has also increased funding to create 15,000 midwife positions to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates by 2015.

At present, there are only around 300 midwife positions, a number recognised as a serious hindrance to the government in achieving its target.

However, the distribution of medical staff is not properly balanced and most medical staff and recent graduates are unwilling to work in rural areas.

Sakukhu said ethnic groups’ traditions, inability to pay for medical services, and lack of essential food were contributing factors to higher rates of mortality in rural and poor areas.

According to the UNFPA, every day in Laos more than two women die of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.

More than 50 per cent of pregnancies are unplanned and a number of these will be unwanted. Each unwanted pregnancy multiplies a woman’s chance of dying from complications from pregnancy or childbirth.

One in four women aged 15-49 years gives birth before the age of 20.

Meeting the demand for family planning services would be expected to reduce maternal deaths and injuries by more than 25 per cent.

CleanBirth.org on World Moms Blog

Thanks to World Moms Blog for hosting my guest post about CleanBirth.org.  It is amazing to be involved with such a wonderful group of women writers and readers!  I am blessed!

Check it out: http://www.worldmomsblog.com/2012/09/18/social-good-one-moms-mission-to-save-lives-in-laos/

Amazing Day: 27 New Donors!

I had an incredible day at the fun, music/food-filled East Rock Festival two minutes walk from my house.  The street was closed for 5 blocks, lined with 100 or so booths and tables.  There was a mechanical bull, climbing wall, sausage and peppers, cotton candy, belly dancing, cool local artisans, bands and, naturally, CleanBirth.org.

It was so funny to see my neighbors, all of whom know me as Nikolai and Nadya’s mom, react to my project. They were so supportive and had great ideas.  I had so much fun talking and talking about the need for these kits.

I received 27 donations and made some potentially amazing contacts in Midwifery, Public Health, and Biomedical Engineering.  Yale is an incredible resource right at my doorstep — I must tap into this!

I am tired and happy.  Getting the word out is something that I love to do.

New Study: Why Lao Women Choose Homebirth

Wonderful that Vanphanom Sychareun et al bringing attention to the issues surrounding Laos’ high rate of maternal and infant deaths.   Their study “Reasons rural Laotians choose home deliveries over delivery at health facilities: a qualitative study” reveals the reasons for women’s preferences and gives basic recommendations.

The method was focus group discussions (FGD) and in-depth interviews with 71 mothers, husbands and grandmothers.  Reasons for homebirth:

1. Distance and cost of transport

2. Poor treatment/practices like horizontal birth position, episiotomies, no privacy, male staff

3. Desire for family/other children near

4. Desire for traditional birth practices: squatting position and “hot bed” (fire underbed) post-partum

What to do?  Clinics should respect traditions/wishes of mothers.  Further, mothers/family should be educated about high risk pregnancies so that they go to the clinic regardless of preference.

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