One result of a lack of access to healthcare institutions in poverty-stricken areas is dangerous childbirth conditions. This set of equipment for midwives provides affordable and disposable tools that will reduce the risk of infections.
In Latin America, Africa, and South Asia there are more than twenty million women every year (100 women every minute) that do not have access to any kind of healthcare institution for the delivery of their babies. This is a situation generated by extreme poverty. One of the three most common causes of death for mothers and babies is infection. The Equipment to Attend Childbirths Outside Hospitals is very inexpensive to produce; preliminary studies targeted a price of around 20 USD. This is a strong advantage that can encourage the governments of developing countries to implement it. The use of this equipment will reduce the risk of infections during childbirth, which translates into saving money for health institutions while raising the quality of life of millions of people around the world every year.
The childbirth kit comes in a container that keeps all the elements sealed and sterilised. All the instruments have been designed for easy use. The shape of each piece suggests the way to handle and use it. Every part of the process can be performed by a single person, so in cases where the midwife is alone or in an isolated place, she (or he) can perform every step. Each piece has been designed to look appealing, appearing “soft” rather than “hard” in shape. The design philosophy applied was that if each piece does not look threatening, the patient will remain relaxed.
This design does not just innovate in terms of the way that childbirth is attended outside a hospital; it is also innovative in the way that the medical instruments work. The piece that cuts and ties the umbilical cord has been designed to combine three instruments in one. This simplifies the operation and makes it easier and safer. The lab coat for the midwife is easy to wear and adjust, and it makes all the instruments very accessible. The equipment takes into account the requirements from the first stages of labor until the after the birth. It also includes a baby sling so the mother or the parents can take the baby home in a comfortable fashion. All the equipment is single-use and disposable, so hygiene is ensured.
It is envisaged that this equipment would be used in areas where people cannot access health care institutions either because of distance or a lack of money. This design can also be seen as a way to consolidate the relations between doctors and midwives. The ideal scenario for the use of this equipment is after a doctor has diagnosed that the patient is able to have a natural childbirth; they pass supervision of their patient to the midwife. The big advantage that this equipment gives to doctors is that they have a freer schedule for visiting pregnant women (between the fourth and sixth months of pregnancy), and the advantage for midwives is that it provides proper instruments with which they can perform the procedure in a safe environment. |
