Maternity Foundation launches new digital training module to support midwives to provide quality care for mothers and newborns in the first six weeks after birth
The international NGO Maternity Foundation has just launched a new, digital training and life-long learning module on postnatal care to support midwives and other healthcare professionals in providing quality care for women and newborns in low-resource settings in the post-partum period.
According to WHO1, more than 3 in 10 women do not receive postnatal care after giving birth. In low-resource settings, the number of women not receiving postnatal care are often even higher. The postnatal period is a critical time to support healthy development of the baby as well as the mother’s overall mental and physical recovery and wellbeing. This will ensure that mothers and newborns not only survive but thrive!
“Quality care for the mother and the baby is just as important after the baby is born, especially in low-resource areas where maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity are unacceptably high. Therefore, I am excited that Maternity Foundation is now launching a new module on postnatal care for midwives and other healthcare professionals to support them in providing quality care in the first six weeks after birth”, says Anna Frellsen, CEO of Maternity Foundation.
The new module on postnatal care is based on WHO guidelines, covers the first 6 weeks after birth and includes, among other content, guidance for midwives and healthcare professionals on how to provide breastfeeding counselling, recognize danger signs for complications, and support the parents in providing newborn care. The module also links to the perinatal mental health module in the Safe Delivery App to support midwives and healthcare professionals in screening for postnatal depression and anxiety and to overall help secure the emotional well-being of women.
Reaching midwives across the world
The new module, that provides midwives with lifelong learning on postnatal care, has now been published within the widely used free, digital tool, the Safe Delivery App.
The Safe Delivery App is an evidence-based job aid, learning and training tool for midwives and other healthcare professionals in low-resource settings. It provides essential guidance on how to handle birth and the most common complications through animated videos and description of procedures, among other features. So far, the App and the accompanying programme has reached more than 400,000 healthcare professionals across more than 70 countries.
With the new module on postnatal care, Maternity Foundation continues to broaden the focus of the Safe Delivery App from basic emergency obstetric and newborn care to also include preventive services. Recently, new modules on maternal mental health, modern contraception, and antenatal care have been added to the App in addition to the new module on postnatal care.
The module on postnatal care is available in a global, English version of the Safe Delivery App, with plans to later on release Arabic and French versions.
Contact
Head of communication Helle Degn: +45 30561551 / helle@maternity.dk
Head of Clinical Development, Ann-Marie Christiansen +45 5090 0443 / annmarie@maternity.dk
