Hand Washing by Birth Attendants, Mothers Saves Lives

Hand Washing by Birth Attendants, Mothers Saves Lives
A study in rural Nepal found a greater chance that babies would survive their first month. Transcript of radio broadcast:
08 July 2008
This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
A new study in rural Nepal shows the value of washing hands with soap and water in preparation for childbirth. Researchers found that hand washing by birth attendants and mothers increased the chances that babies would survive their first month.


The study showed that the risk of death was nineteen percent lower when birth attendants washed their hands before delivery. And the risk of death was forty-four percent lower when mothers washed their hands before they touched their baby.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States did the study. They observed more than twenty-three thousand newborns. Almost all were born at home or on the way to a medical center.

The study says just fifty-three percent of birth attendants reported washing their hands with soap and water before delivery. And only fifteen percent of mothers reported washing their hands before handling their newborn.

More than thirty-thousand newborns die each year in Nepal. Researcher James Tielsch says the findings suggest that hand washing could prevent many of these deaths.

The Bloomberg professor noted that several studies have shown that a mother's hand washing can reduce the risk of diarrhea in young children. But he says this was one of the first to examine the effects of hand washing on the first month after birth.

The findings appear in July's Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Hand washing can prevent the spread of many infections. Hand washing is especially important before and after preparing food, before eating and after using the toilet. People should wash their hands after cleaning a baby and after handling animals or animal waste.

Hand washing is also a good idea after handling money and after sneezing or coughing. And wash hands often when someone at home is sick.

Experts say the most effective way to wash is to rub the hands together while using soap and warm water. They say you do not need special antibacterial soap. Be sure to rub all areas of the hands for about ten to fifteen seconds. The rubbing action helps remove germs. Then rinse the hands with clean water and dry them.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are rubbed into the hands and do not require soap and water. Experts say these products must contain at least sixty percent alcohol to be effective. Professor Tielsch says hand sanitizers are OK for mothers to use but should not be used on babies' skin.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Doug Johnson.

----------------------------Google Translate


洗手是由接生员，母亲拯救生命
一项研究，在尼泊尔农村找到了更大的机会，婴儿会生存，他们的第一个月。全文电台广播：
2008年7月8日
这是美国之音特别英语卫生报告。
一项新的研究在尼泊尔农村表明，价值勤洗手，用肥皂和水在准备分娩。研究人员发现，洗手，由接生员和母亲增加的机会，婴儿会生存，他们的第一个月。

研究表明，死亡的危险是19 ％ ，低时，接生员水洗手中之前交付。和死亡的危险是44 ％ ，低时，母亲洗他们的手之前，他们谈到他们的婴儿。
研究人员从约翰霍普金斯彭博公共卫生学院在美国做研究。他们观察到超过2.3万新生儿。几乎所有出生在家里还是在路上，以某医学中心。

该研究报告说，仅53 ％的接生员报道，洗涤他们的手中，用肥皂和水在分娩前。只有15 ％的母亲报道，洗涤他们的手中之前，处理他们的新生儿。

超过30万新生儿，每年死于在尼泊尔。研究员詹姆斯tielsch说，调查结果显示，洗手可预防很多这些死亡。

彭博教授指出，一些研究表明，母亲的洗手可以减少风险性腹泻的年幼子女。但他说，这是第一个审查的影响，洗手就后的第一个月出生。

结果，出现在7月的档案儿科和青春期医学。

洗手可以防止蔓延，许多感染。洗手是特别重要的之前和之后，准备食物，进食前和使用后的厕所。市民应勤洗手后，清洁一名女婴后，处理动物或动物废物。

洗手是也是一个不错的主意后，处理后，金钱和打喷嚏或咳嗽。和勤洗手，往往当有人在家里生病了。

专家们说，最有效的方法洗手是擦的手一起，而用肥皂和温水。他们说，您不需要特殊的抗菌肥皂。一定要擦所有领域的手中，约十到十五秒。摩擦的行动，有助于消除细菌。然后冲洗双手与清洁的水和干他们。

酒精为基础的杀菌剂，一方面是揉到手中，并且不需要肥皂和水。专家们说，这些产品必须包含至少60 ％的酒精是有效的。 tielsch教授说，一方面杀菌剂是确定的母亲使用，但不应被用作对婴儿的皮肤。

这是该美国之音特别英语卫生报告。我道约翰逊。