Working for change 251
Tetanus of the newborn
Take the baby to a health center or
hospital right away. If the hospital
is more than 2 hours away, give the
baby an injection of 100,000 Units of
benzylpencillin before leaving.
Working for change
Danger signs of tetanus
in the newborn
• fever
• baby
cannot suckle the breast
• baby cries all the time
• fast breathing
• baby’s body gets stiff
What families and caregivers can do:
After ourselves, our families understand our disabilities better than anyone else.
This means they can be a great help to us during both labor and birth. They can
make sure the midwife or health worker delivering the baby understands that just
because we may have disabilities, we can still have
vaginal births. They can also help us explain if we
need to try alternative
positions for the birth.
And when the baby is
born, they can make sure
Don’t worry, doctor.
My daughter may have a
disability but she is very
strong. And she did not need
to have an operation for her
first baby.
we can hold and bond
with the baby, no matter
how much assistance we
may need.
What midwives,
doctors, and other
health workers can do:
• Make sure the rooms or spaces where women give birth in the clinic or hospital
are easy for us to get to. For example, if the birthing room is upstairs, make a
room on the ground floor available for births.
• Make sure all beds and exam tables are low to the ground and do not have wheels.
• Make sure the baby of a deaf or blind woman stays very close to her. Then, even
if the mother cannot hear or see her baby, she will know if he needs to be fed or
comforted.
• Both the mother and baby will benefit from the care of a health worker after the
birth. Visit a new mother and her baby at least 2 times—the day after the birth,
and then again at least once in the following week.
• Help the new mother with the legal requirements in her community to register
the birth of her child.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007