Physical Health Kenya Project #8871

Helping Babies Breathe

by American Academy of Pediatrics

Project Report | Apr 29, 2012
Helping Babies Breathe Report April 2012

By Eileen Hopkins Schoen | Manager, Helping Babies Breathe Initiative

Helping Babies Breathe^® Project Report April 2012

Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) continues rapid implementation, particularly throughout Eastern Africa. It has been introduced into 34 countries with 23 of these having support from USAID. Our many partners have supported the training of at least 58,000 health providers since the launch in June 2010. Preliminary data from one country in Africa shows a significant decline in newborn deaths. Watch the Lancet for a soon to be published article that will cite specific data.

Other accomplishments for this quarter include recognition from the WHO Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH). They consider HBB to be one of the evidence-based essential interventions. In addition, the African Union Commission included newborn resuscitation and other newborn indicators in the Monitoring and Evaluation Indicator Reference Guide for annual tracking from member countries.

Our advocacy efforts have resulted in the UN Commission on Life-saving Commodities for Women’s and Children’s Health to identify resuscitation devices as one of the nine essential commodities that must receive increased attention. Increasing the availability of equipment for learning and practice will make it easier to conduct HBB training, and will ultimately save more babies from birth asphyxia.

A primary resource for HBB facilitators, the HBB Implementation Guide, is now available for download on the HBB Web site. The Helping Babies Breathe Facilitator Video was finalized just this month and will soon be available for free access on www.helpingbabiesbreathe.org.

Looking forward in 2012, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development recently secured multi-million dollar funding for an impact evaluation of HBB in India and Kenya. The Kenya study will kick off later this year. Let’s also give a shout-out to Johnson and Johnson for their support of HBB in Kenya! The AAP will begin partnering with J&J on a stakeholder meeting and HBB training efforts later this year

The AAP and our many HBB implementing partners continue to appreciate the generosity of all those who have supported the HBB initiative. Please feel free to contact us at hbb@aap.org if you have any ideas to spread the word about HBB.

Submitted by Eileen Hopkins Schoen, Manager, Helping Babies Breathe Initiative, American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Dec 27, 2011
Helping Babies Breathe Report December 2011

By Eileen Hopkins Schoen | Manager, Helping Babies Breathe Initiative

Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) has really been in the spotlight this season! In October, the HBB Global Development Alliance was awarded the 2011 Alliance Excellence Award from USAID for a partnership strategy to rollout HBB globally. In November, HBB education was highlighted in an ABC Nightline episode, and just recently, the Million Mom’s campaign aired a video about the initiative in Kenya.

Global progress continues. HBB has been introduced into 34 countries now and at least 10 of those countries have developed national rollout plans. Partners have supported the training of at least 33,000 health providers since the launch in June 2010. Preliminary data from one country in Africa shows a significant decline in newborn deaths.

Some progress more specific to Kenya…

More than 1,200 health providers have been trained so far. The Ministry of Health is leading efforts to include HBB in Kenya’s national guidelines for pediatric emergency care. Kenya is slated to be the site of an upcoming evaluation of the impact of HBB on perinatal mortality that will kick off in 2012.

We’d like to share an excerpt from a blog by Sherri Bucher, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr Bucher works with Riley Children’s Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, where HBB was first introduced.

Nurse Mary Wekesa cleared Baby Job’s airway by suctioning thick mucus from his mouth and nose. She dried him vigorously, cut the umbilical cord, and transferred the limp newborn to a dry blanket. As Mary worked to revive the unresponsive infant, Emily asked repeatedly if her baby was dead. Emily’s mother, who witnessed Job’s birth, sobbed inconsolably. Josephine Wanyama, a hospital technician assisting Mary, whispered, “This baby will die. It’s not breathing.”

Mary responded, “Let us try. This kid might come back.” Mary wrapped the motionless baby in the dry blanket, leaving his chest exposed. She placed a circular rubber mask over his bluish mouth and nose and squeezed a bulb-like attachment that made his chest rise and fall as air inflated his lungs. Mary instructed Josephine to use the newborn’s umbilical stump to monitor his heart rate. Josephine counted each pulse out loud. Every heart beat signaled hope.

Suddenly, the loud cries of baby Job rang through the maternity ward. His grandmother’s sobs were replaced by shouts of joy. Job began to breathe on his own thanks to the efforts of Mary and Josephine, who were able to respond because they received proper training and had all of the necessary equipment.

Emily was able to leave Bokoli Hospital carrying Baby Job in her arms, and happily began making plans and dreaming about a bright future for her new family.

A sincere thank you goes out to all those who have supported the HBB initiative, whether it be from your wallet or through your heart. Please feel free to contact us if you have any ideas to spread the word about HBB. Kenya is a very large country and continued support will be needed to save more newborn lives.

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