Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care Basic Skills Course ...

Reference Manual
“shocks.” Where a heating rod is fixed, an additional lamp will be required to provide
adequate lighting. Babies under the warmer should always be monitored to ensure that
that they are maintaining their body temperature appropriately and are not too cold or
hot. In general, water bottles are not recommended due to the risk of burns. If there is no
alternative to a bottle, the water must be warm and the bag containing the bottle must be
wrapped in a thick cloth or several layers of cloth. The baby must be frequently checked
to ensure that the skin is not excessively hot or red.
Figure 8.1. A warming table. (USAID/BASICS Senegal Newborn Health Program)
• Three to five pieces of clean, preferably sterile, cloth to dry and wrap the baby, a cap
where available, and a washable blanket or several layers of cloth where required.
• A wall thermometer to monitor the room temperature.
• A thermometer to measure the axillary temperature of the baby.
Equipment for Aspiration of Secretions
The following suction equipment is recommended:
• De Lee mucous aspirator. This is perhaps the simplest item to use (see Figure 8.2). It
consists of two tubes attached to a transparent trap. One tube end is introduced into the
baby’s mouth and throat, and the health worker applies suction with his mouth at the tip
of the other tube; the trap is to prevent aspirated material from entering the health
worker’s mouth. The item comes in individual pre-sterilized packs. Since cleaning and
decontamination of the narrow tubes present challenges and due to the risk of infection,
especially of HIV/AIDS, only a “single use” with careful application of suction is
recommended to avoid any risk of the secretions entering the tube in the care provider’s
mouth. In fact, for safety, it might be better to use a fresh aspirator. After use, the item
should be discarded in a safe manner and not reused, even after cleaning and
disinfection. Some practitioners do not recommend the use of this aspirator because of
the potential risk of secretions entering the care provider’s mouth, despite the presence
of the trap.
Integrated maternal and newborn care
Basic skills course
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