Midwives with the LEKMA hospital, Carolina Anum and Dorothy Ofori Owusu say failure to prevent birth asphyxia has the tendency to result in some babies who would survive the condition but left with permanent brain injuries of various severities.
Birth asphyxia is a health condition that is caused as a result of the failure of a new-born to initiate and sustain a normal breathing at birth and it is also the major cause of convulsion in new-borns.
Speaking on Plan B FM ‘Apomuden Fie’ with Nana Konadu Okontie, they stated that the number of such cases are frightening and a major concern to mothers and care givers, hence the need for focus and interventions during this critical period to ensure an improvement on the quality of care delivery systems in the country.
They intimated that, the number of mortality cases recorded over the years, calls for strategic plan to be coined to reduce newborn deaths even if is it not totally eradicated.
Mrs. Owusu indicated that, asphyxia could be caused due to problems within the uterus, placenta, umbilical cord and foetus as well as nature. She said the situation though worrisome could be averted if pregnant women are monitored properly and given the needed medical attention upon delivery.
“Mothers therefore need a lot of preparedness since this could happen around the time before, during and soon after birth and at everywhere and level. We need effective monitoring of labour process in such cases to avoid any complications.” She stated
She advised that birth asphyxia be viewed as an opportunity to improve the overall healthcare delivery systems in the country to prevent these occurrences.
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