Technical Areas
Treatment of Complications
Approximately 15 percent of pregnancies experience potentially
life-threatening complications. While many complications cannot
be prevented, the
progression to an emergency and possible death can often be averted through
vigilant monitoring and rapid appropriate care. In order to achieve the greatest
public health impact where maternal
mortality is very high, USAID focuses on basic essential obstetric care
(rather than comprehensive care including surgical intervention and blood
transfusion) that can be provided at the hospital, health center or even
in the home by non-physician providers. Basic essential obstetric care includes
essential drugs (oxytocics, antibiotic, and sedatives), fluid replacement,
and manual procedures. Essential newborn care includes resuscitation and
post resuscitation care for birth asphyxia, as well as newborn warming procedures
and assisted feeding for low birthweight babies.
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