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Helping Babies Breathe

By Andrea King Collier | Posted September 3 2010

There is a minute right after a baby is born that he is in a fight for his seconds-old life. In just 60 seconds, that baby has to find a way to catch that first breath that is essential to his survival. Most babies take that breath on their own, however, across the world, nearly 10 million newborns each year can’t do it alone. They need the help of a nurse, midwife, or birth worker. The American Academy of Pediatrics and several global partners are taking on newborn/neonatal mortality, with a focus on the first “golden minute” with the Helping Babies Breathe initiative.

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Lisa Thornton, MD, associate professor of Pediatrics and Rehabilitation at the University of Chicago, and a member of the AAP, says,  “In that first golden minute, it is urgent to get the baby to take that first breath. When the umbilical cord is clamped shortly after delivery, the baby stops getting blood and oxygen through the cord.” Thornton says. “If the baby doesn’t breathe immediately, he or she will begin to suffocate.”

The World Health Organization  (WHO) estimates that globally, close to a million babies die each year from birth asphyxia, the inability to breathe immediately after delivery, a major cause of newborn mortality in and around developing nations. AAP is working to increase the number of birth workers around the world who are trained to assist babies in that golden minute through the Helping Babies Breathe curriculum.

The training materials include pictures that will help birth attendants understand the steps to take immediately after birth to ensure breathing. Other tools include newborn baby simulators, ventilation devices and bulb suction devices. The project has already been piloted in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Pakistan and Tanzania and will be rolled out to 63 countries that are a part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 4 to significantly reduce child mortality around the world.

Neonatologist Susan Niermeyer, MD, has been one of the driving forces behind the initiative. She says, “We believe that Helping Babies Breathe can be a catalyst to increase skilled attendance at birth, build linkages between communities and health facilities, and strengthen health systems. There is the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives each year.”

CONNECT THE DOTS

USAID, one of the partners in Helping Babies Breathe, works to improve child health globally. The Healthy Newborn Network shares stories of progress in global newborn survival through the Saving Newborn Lives Initiative. The Maternal Child Health Integrated Health Program also addresses health issues that impact children around the world.  Through Healthymagination, GE Healthcare’s Maternal Infant Care business works to help address needs of mothers and babies around the globe.

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