Some believe "The Trauma of Birth" is part of the human condition even during a healthy delivery. But sometimes entry into the world comes with unexpected medical complications - for mother as well as baby. Stanford's Center for Advanced Pediatric and Perinatal Education at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital trains health professionals on best practices for handling childbirth emergencies. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle spotlights experiences of the first Russian visitors to the center, which has been training medical experts from all over the world since 2002.
From the piece:
The simulation room looked a lot like a hospital room, with a couple of significant differences. Behind a two-way mirror, technicians sat in a control room video-recording the doctors' every movement on seven cameras. They manipulated the vital signs shown on the bedside monitor of the mother, who was played by a hospital employee. They controlled the pumping lungs and warm breath of the baby mannequin.
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After the childbirth simulation, the four Russian doctors involved in the scenario sat before a television and watched themselves on instant replay. Cringing a bit, the obstetricians admitted that they could have worked more efficiently by splitting up, with one monitoring the woman's vital signs and the other guiding the delivery. One of the neonatologists who assisted with the newborn remarked that she should have called for help from a colleague sooner.
One of the participating doctors, Yulia Vorontsova, a neonatologist, said with the assistance of an interpreter, "When you look at a situation from the outside, it gives you a richer experience."
Previously: “Preparation is everything:” More on how Stanford and Packard got ready for the Asiana crash, Whiz Kids: Research looks at handling pediatric crises effectively and Improving treatment for infant respiratory distress in developing countries
Photo by phalinn
