Newborn deaths: a preventable tragedyThe needOur approach |
Where is the gap?Death and disability from asphyxia is preventable using a procedure called – basic resuscitation. Resuscitation requires skill and experience that is often missing at the point of childbirth. As a result, front-line health workers (auxiliary nurse midwives, nurses and medical officers) who attend majority of childbirths in India and other developing countries largely lack the skills required to resuscitate effectively – leading to deaths.
The conventional approach to removing barriers and improving access to neonatal resuscitation is to intensively and extensively train birth attendants. Such training is logistically challenging and requires repeated refresher courses. Also, according to recent evidence, despite adequate training and experience, even neonatologists are unable to deliver breaths of consistent volume. Moreover no existing device gives reliable objective real-time feedback on volumes delivered. Hence the need for a device that is easy to use, cost effective, gives objective feedback and delivers volumes and pressures reliably. |