Maternal and Infant Care in Borgne, Haiti

Efforts continue to surround the issues of poor maternal and infant health.  One example of the work done is with a young woman who arrived in the emergency room of Alyans Sante' Borgne.  This parent was the mother of 3 children.  The youngest child, 12 months old, was in poor general condition with a weight recorded at 3.9kg (8.6#).  This child was diagnosed with severe malnutrition.  The hospital hosted the infant for a full month. The mother was educated on enhanced feeding upon discharge.  The mother brought the child back in for follow up and the child had gained 4.6 Kg (10#).  The child would not have survived without the intervention of the staff.

Staff are doing more home visits to increase health care awareness.  There are more home visits for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and education surrounding handwashing, mask wearing and the importance of vaccinations.  Scabies is becoming a health issue so education around hygiene, and preventative practices along with the provision of hygiene kits is another initiative that affects maternal and infant care. The unique purpose of doing house visits is better understand in what conditions people are living in order to help them better resolve issues linked to their personal environment.  Such efforts are improving the health and well-being of the community of Borgne.