'Helping Babies Breathe' Training Aboard Comfort

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Courtney Richardson, Continuing Promise 2011 Public Affairs

KINGSTON, Jamaica (NNS) -- Medical personnel aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) participated in "Helping Babies Breath" training sessions, April 13, in preparation for humanitarian assistance in the Caribbean, Central and South America as part of Continuing Promise 2011 (CP11).

The practitioners learned how to tell the difference between healthy babies and those who require assistance after birth, as well as how to provide life saving care if needed.

"The purpose of the training is to reduce unnecessary neo-natal deaths worldwide," said Dr. Tom DiDonne, master instructor and American Academy of Pediatrics volunteer.

The students will use their new training to teach skilled birthing attendants, who are typically not doctors or nurses, how to properly assist with the birth of newborns.

DiDonne said many infants are dying due to their birthing attendant's lack of knowledge and equipment. Several organizations have come together to educate people on how to safely deliver babies and help infants who cannot breath properly.

DiDonne told the students that communication will be a barrier because they are traveling through many different countries.

"As you're trying to show them how to give the baby air through the ventilator, say 'breathe baby breathe' as you do it, so that they can remember how long they need to squeeze the bag," said DiDonne.

The medical personnel will provide basic, yet in-depth training, to the attendants who will be equipped with critical life saving training sometimes never offered to many of the countries DiDonne's students will visit. Each participant will learn how to properly ventilate a baby, stimulate those who cannot breathe, tear down and reassemble the equipment for future use.

"We'll teach them what a healthy baby looks like as opposed to a baby who might need a little bit of help to breathe," said Emily Forster, registered nurse volunteering on behalf of Latterday Saints Charities.

The medical team's main focus during its visit in Jamaica is teaching infant stimulation, breathing and equipment sterilization.

Forster said is it important they share what they learn with others after Comfort leaves the area. For the skilled birthing attendants, resources are very limited, so after completing the training, each attendant is given a free infant ventilator bag. While in Jamaica, the medical personnel will provide this training during the entire visit for all to attend.

COMUSANAVSO / COMFOURTHFLT supports U.S. Southern Command's joint and combined full-spectrum military operations. The units provide principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space to enhance regional security and to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Carribean, Central and South American regions.