ATTENTION: THIS POST IS LOOOOOONG
People,
I am frustrated, confused, and highly upset. I am here to ask your advice into strategies to get past the cabesas duras of some of the medical professionals in the Dominican Republic.
Before Dominic-anus or some other New York residing Dominican starts to chime in that I am bashing the medical community of the DR, I would like to say that in the past year I have encountered NUMEROUS Dominicans who want to see a change in the Maternity care in the country. This includes doctors, nurses, lactation professionals, students, women's rights advocates, and even laypersons. So there ARE Dominicans that see the benefits of what we are trying to accomplish.
I am frustrated though that there are still some that won't listen even when given information and education. Even when told that what we are aiming to accomplish will save lives.
Let's talk about the most recent hurdle:
Kangaroo Care- Kangaoo care is when an infant is placed skin to skin with mom, with only a diaper on. They are held in an upright position on mom's chestusually so that the head is on the side of the heart.
In Cabral y Baez in Santiago, we have introduced Kangaroo Care, or should I say, we've tried. While I was in the States, the ladies from La Leche League went to the hospital for some time Mondays through Thursdays in order to assist with breastfeeding, and to initiate the Kangaroo Care. The doctors are resistant.....
I've received at least 3 emails from the Supervisor telling me that the hospital is giving them a hard time and no one can answer as to why they do not support this initiative. I have given them NUMEROUS articles on the benefits of Kangaroo Care, those that are imperative to premature infants ESPECIALLY when you are in medical facility that does not have top of the line technology. Kangaroo Care:
- decreases infant apnea (many have seem a 4x DECREASE in apneic episodes once KC was initiated)
- stablilizes heart rate
- regulates infanta body temperature (the body temp of a mom will ADJUST to regulate the body temp of her baby when placed in KC!)
- increase lactation success (KC babies are found to breastfeed spontaneously up to 8x more than non KC babies!)
- weight gain in preemies (KC babies were found to have more rapid weight gain)
All of these things terminate in a healthier baby and shorter hospital stays...
SO WHY ARE THESE DOCTORS OPPOSING THIS?!
- We have been in the hospital before, many times, so it's not that they don't know who we are
- When the girs go, they go 5 or 6 of them so it is not extra work on the doctors or the nurses as they assist the moms in breastfeeding and before with Kangaroo care
- The staff was offered to go with us to San Francisco de Macoris to see the Kangaroo care in action and speak with the doctors and nurses there regarding their results (it was not accepted)
- No one can give us a concise reason as to why they don't want it
- I take gifts for the doctors and nurses EVERYTIME I enter that hospital (I found out very quickly that they are more receptive when something is offered for them and not just the patients)
So, If anyone has any other tactics that we can try? Tomorrow I am going to talk with Licette (LLL Supervisor) and see what we can come up with..I would like to say that in all Kangaroo Care studies, most of the Infant mortality rates fell by 30%-40%!!! I mean, come on! This is evidenced based practice!!! It's not like I'm making this up!
Please give me suggestions, I'm probably gonna get to the hospital week sometime, and I want to leave there with a positive answer.
By the way, here are some Maternal health statistics in the DR that are frightening. We are trying our best, but we will need cooperation, as least a little from those at the forefront. There are alot of Dominicans who support us and for them we will keep going.
FACTS:
-The Maternal mortality rate in the DR is 100 per 100,000 (over 4 times the US rate) EVEN THOUGH 98% of Dominican women recieve prenatal care and deliver at a hospital
-The DR Cesarean section rate has been calculated most recently at 39%, and in some areas as high as 45%
-A recent study showed that among women who received 4 years or less of primary education, 43.8% became pregnant as opposed to 13.3% among women who completed secondary or higher education
-In another study it indicates that 61% of child mortality in the DR occurs during the Neonatal period (therefore focusing on the critical period before and after delivery is crucial for the infant's survival)
-Currently 20.6% of teens in the DR (age 15-19) are currently pregnant. The rate would be higher if those ages 12-14 had been counted
-A range of studies has shown that 85% OF THE MATERNAL DEATHS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC COULD BE AVOIDED WITH IMPORVED QUALITY OF CARE
-Currently the majority of the money given to fund public hospitals goes into commodoties or salaries, with little investment in human resources, infrastructure, education of staff, and maintenance of buildings andequipment
Thanks for reading and if anyone has any suggestions for a way to get through to some of these medical professionals, at this point I'm willing to try anything...
Well, ALMOST anything LOL
SHALENA
People,
I am frustrated, confused, and highly upset. I am here to ask your advice into strategies to get past the cabesas duras of some of the medical professionals in the Dominican Republic.
Before Dominic-anus or some other New York residing Dominican starts to chime in that I am bashing the medical community of the DR, I would like to say that in the past year I have encountered NUMEROUS Dominicans who want to see a change in the Maternity care in the country. This includes doctors, nurses, lactation professionals, students, women's rights advocates, and even laypersons. So there ARE Dominicans that see the benefits of what we are trying to accomplish.
I am frustrated though that there are still some that won't listen even when given information and education. Even when told that what we are aiming to accomplish will save lives.
Let's talk about the most recent hurdle:
Kangaroo Care- Kangaoo care is when an infant is placed skin to skin with mom, with only a diaper on. They are held in an upright position on mom's chestusually so that the head is on the side of the heart.
In Cabral y Baez in Santiago, we have introduced Kangaroo Care, or should I say, we've tried. While I was in the States, the ladies from La Leche League went to the hospital for some time Mondays through Thursdays in order to assist with breastfeeding, and to initiate the Kangaroo Care. The doctors are resistant.....
I've received at least 3 emails from the Supervisor telling me that the hospital is giving them a hard time and no one can answer as to why they do not support this initiative. I have given them NUMEROUS articles on the benefits of Kangaroo Care, those that are imperative to premature infants ESPECIALLY when you are in medical facility that does not have top of the line technology. Kangaroo Care:
- decreases infant apnea (many have seem a 4x DECREASE in apneic episodes once KC was initiated)
- stablilizes heart rate
- regulates infanta body temperature (the body temp of a mom will ADJUST to regulate the body temp of her baby when placed in KC!)
- increase lactation success (KC babies are found to breastfeed spontaneously up to 8x more than non KC babies!)
- weight gain in preemies (KC babies were found to have more rapid weight gain)
All of these things terminate in a healthier baby and shorter hospital stays...
SO WHY ARE THESE DOCTORS OPPOSING THIS?!
- We have been in the hospital before, many times, so it's not that they don't know who we are
- When the girs go, they go 5 or 6 of them so it is not extra work on the doctors or the nurses as they assist the moms in breastfeeding and before with Kangaroo care
- The staff was offered to go with us to San Francisco de Macoris to see the Kangaroo care in action and speak with the doctors and nurses there regarding their results (it was not accepted)
- No one can give us a concise reason as to why they don't want it
- I take gifts for the doctors and nurses EVERYTIME I enter that hospital (I found out very quickly that they are more receptive when something is offered for them and not just the patients)
So, If anyone has any other tactics that we can try? Tomorrow I am going to talk with Licette (LLL Supervisor) and see what we can come up with..I would like to say that in all Kangaroo Care studies, most of the Infant mortality rates fell by 30%-40%!!! I mean, come on! This is evidenced based practice!!! It's not like I'm making this up!
Please give me suggestions, I'm probably gonna get to the hospital week sometime, and I want to leave there with a positive answer.
By the way, here are some Maternal health statistics in the DR that are frightening. We are trying our best, but we will need cooperation, as least a little from those at the forefront. There are alot of Dominicans who support us and for them we will keep going.
FACTS:
-The Maternal mortality rate in the DR is 100 per 100,000 (over 4 times the US rate) EVEN THOUGH 98% of Dominican women recieve prenatal care and deliver at a hospital
-The DR Cesarean section rate has been calculated most recently at 39%, and in some areas as high as 45%
-A recent study showed that among women who received 4 years or less of primary education, 43.8% became pregnant as opposed to 13.3% among women who completed secondary or higher education
-In another study it indicates that 61% of child mortality in the DR occurs during the Neonatal period (therefore focusing on the critical period before and after delivery is crucial for the infant's survival)
-Currently 20.6% of teens in the DR (age 15-19) are currently pregnant. The rate would be higher if those ages 12-14 had been counted
-A range of studies has shown that 85% OF THE MATERNAL DEATHS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC COULD BE AVOIDED WITH IMPORVED QUALITY OF CARE
-Currently the majority of the money given to fund public hospitals goes into commodoties or salaries, with little investment in human resources, infrastructure, education of staff, and maintenance of buildings andequipment
Thanks for reading and if anyone has any suggestions for a way to get through to some of these medical professionals, at this point I'm willing to try anything...
Well, ALMOST anything LOL
SHALENA