On Thursday 4th of July, the newborn resuscitation monitors were finally installed in the labor ward at Haydom Lutheran Hospital. The monitors have a heart rate sensor that displays the newborn heart rate after just 5 seconds. It also has sensors on the bag and mask that collect respiration data. This will help the midwives in their work and at the same time give us important information on what is going on in the body of the newborn.
Monica, who has been a midwife in rural Tanzania for 26 year commented while training on using the machine: “ I really like that you can leave the sensor on after having wrapped the baby in a cloth. This way I can see how the baby is doing while I attend to the mother.”
The first introduction training to the midwifes was held on Friday 5th but just before starting the training Dr. Jørgen, the researcher on site, was called to labor room 6.
After prolonged labor a little boy was born with poor respiratory effort. The midwife did what she was suppose to, stimulating, suction and starting bag mask ventilation. Dr. Jørgen put on the Newborn Heart Rate sensor on the abdomen of the baby and after just 5 second 180 was displayed on the screen. “A fantastic feeling of being in control of the situation at an instant. I gave the newborn some stimulation and a few inflations, before the breathing started. It was very good to be able to demonstrate in action even before the training, what a helpful tool this can be. Especially when the outcome was good” said Dr. Jørgen.
The midwives themselves were also very enthusiastic and interested during the introduction by the research nurses.
The head of the labor ward Fortunata thanked all the people involved for the efforts that have been made to bring the monitors to Haydom. “We must remember that the babies we deliver here today, are the presidents of tomorrow, and it is our responsibility that they get the best care possible” said Fortunata.