Stories From The Field
Emmanuel
Emmanuel
Almazo Simon Junior was delivered at home with the help of Yvlane
Alexis, an ICC trained Traditional Birth Attendant. Emmanuel, and
his two-year-old sister Jessica, live with their parents in a small
house in the shantytown of Citè Castro, not far from Grace
Children's Hospital.
Expecting mothers, who live in International Child Care's program
area and receive pre-natal care through Grace Children's Hospital's
Urban Community Health program, are encouraged to deliver at a hospital,
especially if it is their first pregnancy to avoid any possible
complications. Grace Children's Hospital does not have a maternity
ward, but expecting mothers are offered pre-natal care and then
referred to other community hospitals for the actual delivery. If
the mother refuses to go to a hospital to deliver, or can not afford
institutional medical care, then an ICC Traditional Birth Attendant
will assist with the delivery, reducing the risk of unnecessary
pregnancy-related suffering and death. Although Emmanuel's sister,
Jessica, was born at a hospital, their mother decided to deliver
him at home.
The day after Emmanuel was delivered, Yvlane escorted mom and son
to the Pediatric Clinic at Grace Children's Hospital for a post-natal
check-up and to have his umbilical cord dressing changed. A doctor,
at Grace Children's Hospital, examines every infant that is delivered
by an ICC Traditional Birth Attendant within 24 hours of birth.
During Emmanuel's exam, the doctor also prescribed vitamins and
antibiotics for his mother.
Yvlane, and the other ICC Traditional Birth Attendants, also provide
in-home follow-up visits to mother and child. During these visits,
the Traditional Birth Attendants educate the new moms on topics
such as nutrition, hygiene and the benefits of breast-feeding. Recently,
Yvlane went to see ten-day-old Emmanuel for follow-up visit. She
noticed that Emmanuel's mother wasn't washing his hair or bathing
him enough. Many Haitian women believe, due to a cultural superstition,
that babies will get sick if their heads get wet. Yvlane explained
the importance of good hygiene and strongly encouraged Emmanuel's
mother to bath him and wash his hair daily.
Once Emmanuel reaches six weeks of age, Yvlane will also educate
his mother on the importance of family planning. Then, if she so
chooses, she can go to the Reproductive Health Clinic at Grace Children's
Hospital for contraceptives. International Child Care's Reproductive
Health service, coupled with extensive health education, is designed
to help both women and men understand, and have access to, a choice
in range of safe and affordable contraceptive methods thereby reducing
the number of unwanted and unsafe pregnancies.
Thanks to Yvlane, and other ICC trained Traditional Birth Attendants,
Emmanuel, and hundreds of other babies born in the urban slums surrounding
Grace Children Hospital, have an opportunity for a safe entrance
into this life and a chance to grow up healthy.
