Check the mother’s body
W hat to do if y o u fi nd signs o f bladde r infe ction
Encourage the mother to drink 1 glass of liquid every hour while she is awake.
Liquids help wash infection out of the body. Water and fruit juices are especially
good to drink.
Encourage the mother to eat fruits that have a lot of vitamin C, like oranges,
guavas, kiwis, mangos, or jujubes.
Use local plant medicines that fight infection or heal injured tissues. Two plant
medicines that you might be able to use are:
• corn silk tea — boil the tassels from an ear of corn
(maize) and then drink.
• marshmallow tea — soak chopped pieces of the
root of the marshmallow plant (Althaea officinalis)
in cold water overnight and then drink.
If the infection does not start to improve quickly, or
if the woman has any signs of kidney infection, give
antibiotics. The longer you wait to treat an infection, the
more difficult it will be to cure. If she is not better after
2 days of antibiotics, get medical help.
Boil a large handful of
corn silk in water and
drink 1 or 2 cups.
See the green medicines pages at the end of this book before giving this
or any medicine.
For an infection that is not getting better, or for a kidney infection
• give 500 mg amoxicillin �������������������������������������������������������by mouth, 3 times a day
for 7 days
If the woman is allergic to amoxicillin
• give 960 mg cotrimoxazole ����������������������������������������������by mouth, 2 times a day for 7 days
(160 mg trimethoprim and 800 mg sulfamethoxazole)
But do not give cotrimoxazole in the last 3 months of pregnancy.
Prevent bladder infections
To prevent bladder infections, teach women how to
keep germs in stool away from the urethra by wiping
from front to back after urinating or passing stool.
Remind women’s partners to clean their hands and
genitals before sex. Women should also urinate right
after having sex.
129
A Book for Midwives (2010)