Safe Birth Kits

Vital Care Connect’s Safe Birth Kits Program

The Safe Birth Kits are a core component of Vital Care Connect’s Maternal and Child Health program. They are designed as a simple, low-cost, yet highly effective tool to ensure a clean and hygienic childbirth environment, significantly reducing the risk of life-threatening infections for both mothers and newborns in resource-limited settings.

Primary Goal and Purpose

The main objective of the Safe Birth Kits is to prevent infections during childbirth. Many maternal and newborn deaths in the communities they serve (like rural Uganda) are caused by preventable infections like sepsis and tetanus, which are often contracted due to unhygienic delivery conditions. These kits provide the essential sterile supplies needed for a clean delivery.

Contents of a Safe Birth Kit

Each kit contains a set of fundamental items to create a sterile field and ensure clean practices during delivery. The contents include:

  • Plastic Sheet: To provide a clean, impervious surface for the mother to deliver on.

  • Soap: For the birth attendant and mother to thoroughly wash their hands.

  • Gloves: A pair of sterile gloves for the birth attendant to prevent the transmission of germs.

  • Sterile Razor Blade: To cleanly and safely cut the newborn’s umbilical cord, preventing infections like neonatal tetanus.

  • Cord Ties (or Clamps): To tie off the umbilical cord after it is cut.

  • Gauze Pads: For cleaning the mother and baby after delivery.

  • Baby Blanket/Cloth: A small cloth or blanket to wrap the newborn immediately after birth to prevent hypothermia and keep them warm.

     

The Problem They Address

  • High Maternal & Neonatal Mortality: The program targets regions where mortality rates for mothers and babies are high due to infections contracted at birth.

  • Lack of Access to Healthcare: Many women in these areas give birth at home without a skilled birth attendant or access to a clean health facility.

  • Unsanitary Conditions: Deliveries often occur on dirty floors or in unhygienic environments, exposing both mother and child to dangerous pathogens.

Impact and Importance

The website emphasizes that the Safe Birth Kit is a “simple yet powerful tool.” By providing these basic supplies, the program directly contributes to:

  • A significant reduction in the incidence of maternal and neonatal sepsis, tetanus, and other infections.

  • Empowering women and birth attendants with the necessary tools for a safer delivery, even when professional medical care is not immediately available.

  • A dramatic increase in the chances of survival and good health for both mother and child.

Other Causes

Supporting 1,000 Children with Life-Saving Medical Treatments

Until July 15, 2023

Feeding 100,000 Families: Alleviating Hunger and Food Insecurity

Until July 04, 2023

Clean Water for Everyone: Ensuring Access and Health

Until July 04, 2023

Education for All: Empowering Minds, Building Futures

Until July 15, 2023

Women's Empowerment: Breaking Barriers, Inspiring Change

Until July 04, 2023