Start Right Maternal and Newborn Care
Saving the lives of the smallest and keeping Moms safe, healthy and well
Maternal deaths in Haiti are 29 times higher than in the USA.
Hypertension is the leading cause of maternal death, followed by hemorrhage.
Start Right provides prenatal education over a hot nutritious meal, health exams, lab testing for STDs, iron / folic–and treatment for hypertension.
Rural Haitian women, on average, have one prenatal visit per pregnancy. Start Right women average six sessions plus additional health exams closer to delivery. Moms are also scheduled for a postnatal check up.
Women receive counseling on and access to contraception. This empowers them to have greater control over their health as they can space out their pregnancies and reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and other health problems.
On average, 25% of rural Haitian women deliver at a clinic or hospital.
At HAPI, we offer birthing services performed by OB nurses in a safe, sanitary and equipped facility. A physician is available. Nearly 50% of Start Right moms choose to deliver at Felisane Health Center.
Start Right pays for transportation to the hospital if the mom requires an emergency c-section.
Start Right moms stay nearly 24 hours post-delivery for observation, hot meals and breastfeeding assistance, as compared to the six hour national ‘recommendation.’ This protects the health of BOTH Mom and Infant and ensures they START RIGHT!
Infant mortality is eight times greater in Haiti than USA; death under age five years is 10 times greater!
21-25% of infants born in Haiti are low birth weight. LBW increases risk of chronic health conditions such as asthma and infections. Under 5% of Start Right babies are LBW.
Moms are encouraged to breastfeed exclusively for six months, ‘on-demand.’
Felisane Health Center offers free childhood vaccinations in cooperation with the local public health department.
Each year, HAPI sponsors an annual ‘child nutrition day’ for parental education and a well-child check up to monitor for children failing to thrive due to malnutrition. We provide intervention with high calorie diet supplementation and twice monthly exams.