Keywords

Helping Babies Breath (HBB), birth asphyxia, neonatal resuscitation, Golden Minute, OSCE, bag-and-mask ventilation

Abstract

Worldwide over 3 million neonates die annually. Roughly one-quarter of these deaths are reportedly due to birth asphyxia. Birth asphyxia occurs most commonly when there is an interruption of placental blood flow to the fetus and results in a hypoxic-ischemic end-process. Hypoxic ischemia can, in turn, lead to long-term neurological problems and even death of a newborn. Basic neonatal resuscitation steps taught in the Helping Babies Breath (HBB) program have been shown to improve outcomes related to birth asphyxia-related injuries and are vital interventions that save lives. Furthermore, HBB has been shown to reduce neonatal mortality by up to 47% and decrease the number of stillbirths due to asphyxia by 24%. The purpose of this project was to introduce the HBB training program in three locations in Fiji.

The effectiveness of HBB training classes were measured using a pre-test/post-test design. Training courses were held at three sites, two in Labasa, Fiji and one in Savusavu, Fiji. Participant total scores from each location were compared and found to be similar. T-tests showed a significant increase in knowledge (df=31, t= -6.96, p < .001). The HBB program is a lifesaving training created for use in countries with limited resources. HBB training was statistically significant in improving the basic neonatal resuscitation knowledge of the participants in Fiji.