In 2008, our multinational Infant Health Teams advanced newborn health care practices in Northern Tanzania. Dedicated educators, obstetricians, pediatricians, nurses, occupational therapists and psychologists worked to, together, adjust the latest practices in newborn complimentary health care to the culture and health facility resources.
We cared for ill, underweight and underdeveloped infants from birth to 4 months of age within special care nurseries and at-risk mothers and their newborns within the maternity wards. In some units there were only 2 nurses providing for the critical needs of up to 48 newborns. Creative solutions provided opportunities for disseminating knowledge and building skill. Team members shared techniques in positioning babies within their beds for the best breathing, heart functioning and temperature control. Faculty, staff and students put these practices into effect immediately with great success. For those babies who were stable enough to be held without risk of decline, we taught skin-to-skin maternal care and nurturing touch to mothers and fathers. These babies and the ones to come are expected to have even greater chances for fighting infection, gaining life-saving weight and developing to potential as these practices are increasingly employed in their care.
When mothers and fathers become directly involved with the care of their infants in the hospital, they are better equipped to support their infants when they bring them home. Re-hospitalizations are expected to decrease as parents gain more and more skill in delivering appropriate aftercare to their little ones. Empowering parents in the early care of their children, empowers them to advocate for and provide for their children in countless ways. Empowered parents empower communities to make vital social changes for their children’s futures. |
