procedures are constantly being developed
Cries of pain released by the mother are followed by the good news of the birth of a child who is an extension of his parents'' life. Every mother and father has the right to ascertain the procedures followed to preserve the newborn from mixing with other children, unintentionally or unintentionally. The Ministry of Health has given this aspect great and utmost care through decisions, instructions, and even strict procedures. To keep the newborns safe until they are discharged from the hospital with their families.
In this investigation, we get acquainted with the procedures followed in hospitals by a decision of the Ministry of Health by wandering between the delivery rooms and watching the procedures followed on the ground.
Our procedures are old and renewed
Al-Jazeera had an interview with Dr. Fatima Yousef Al-Jawan, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Al-Yamamah Hospital in Riyadh, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, who holds the Saudi specialty and the Arab Board in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Our first inquiries were about the system followed in private hospitals at the Ministry of Health, and is it a new system? Dr. Fatima explained that the system is very old and is not new, and that the procedures followed to identify and preserve newborns are carried out with precision, commitment and firmness, and it starts first: Entry for the pregnant mother is through the emergency department, and when deciding to enter her, the mother is placed with her own identification bracelet (includes name and medical file number). And when he decides that her birth will be near, she is transferred to the delivery room to deliver her newborn with the file that has been prepared for her, then a special file for the child that is attached to the mother’s file is prepared.
Then he brings two bracelets matching the mother’s bracelet, including (the mother’s name, medical file number and date) with the mother asking about the name and then reading it to the mother’s ear to make sure it is correct. The mother’s left thumbprint is taken in the special form in the child’s file.
Birth and foot print
At the birth of the child, the newborn is presented to his mother in such a way that she can see his gender, and ask her what this newborn is (his gender) before cutting the umbilical cord, and the question is repeated until she answers and then cuts the umbilical cord. Then, Dr. Al-Jawan explained that a bracelet is placed on the right leg of the child. Another is for the left leg, through the nurse who delivered the birth herself. Footprints of the newborn were taken at the time of birth, and the person who did this signed the prepared form in the child’s file, and these data were written by the nurse, taking care to fill in the data very accurately.
Nursery and hypnosis
The child is placed in a special room for newborns (nursery) in the delivery room and is fully identified.
Dr. Fatima explained that after that, the mother is transferred to the hypnosis ward, and all her data and that of her newborn are verified again. This includes checking with the mother by asking her about the sex of her newborn. After that, she is transferred to the hypnosis ward, and when she reaches the hypnosis department, the nursing there checks the bracelets of each of the mothers. and the child and asking the mother in person about her name and the gender of her newborn (for the third time).
Caesarean delivery
As for our question about cases of caesarean section, Dr. Al-Jawan answered that in this case, he is transferred to the operating room, and there is a special nurse to receive the baby and in the presence of the pediatrician as well. She prepares two identification bracelets from the mother’s file, then receives the newborn, puts the bracelets on his feet, and provides him with the required care, along with the pediatrician. In case the newborn needs special care, a pediatrician is called to decide whether the child is transferred to the nursery department for newborns. The nurses of the nursery department for newborns and the nurses of the nursery department coming to receive the newborn make sure that the child’s data is complete and his file from the nursing in the delivery room is complete .
Shift and visit
By asking about the nation of working hours among the nurses, she stated that in the inpatient ward, the nursing staff, in each shift upon receipt and delivery, every (8) hours, checks the bracelets of each patient and the bracelets of the newborn by asking her about her name and the sex of her newborn and making sure that it matches what she says, even if one of the bracelets is missing. Or both, the nurse informs the head of the department to return it or make a new matching bracelet.
At the time of the visit to maintain the children, they are collected from the mothers’ rooms to the nursery room in the wing, and after the visit, the bracelets are re-examined for both the mother and the child.
Dr. explained. Fatima said that before the mother leaves the hospital, there are procedures for exit, which is to take prints of the newborn''s feet upon discharge for the second time, and to sign the nurse who took them on the form in the mother''s file.
After confirming the bracelets and the gender of the newborn, it is handed over to the father, and his name is written and signed on a special form for receiving the newborn, in which the mother’s fingerprint is also taken.
Meet the mothers
In order to know the opinions of mothers about the tiring procedures to preserve the newborn, we asked (Umm Yazid) about her opinion about the tiring procedures. She said that she had given birth to a male child and that this was her second birth. She said: They followed in the hospital the same procedures of taking fingerprints of the child and taking her thumbprints, and we saw signs The blue imprint is on the hand and the child''s feet. Another case is of a mother whose name is symbolized by (X) and the same procedures were applied to the newborn, and this was the first born of her mother.
As for Umm Abdul Rahman, she has two male children, and this girl is a joy for her, and the previous births are also in the same hospital. She finds comfort and follows the procedures very carefully. We attended the moments of birth until the child came out and performed the necessary applications for him.
In our wanderings between the delivery rooms, the head of the delivery rooms (peace be upon him) Al-Qahtani accompanied us, and we found her keenness to ensure that all procedures were completed.
There we met a group of midwives who meticulously perform their duties: Manal Al-Enezi, Nawal Al-Rashidi and Amal Al-Enezi.
Ministry of Health
Then we made an inquiry directed to the Ministry of Health about the procedures followed to identify and preserve children. The Director of the Public Relations and Information Department at the Ministry of Health, Mr. Saad Al-Qahtani, informed us of the same procedures mentioned by Dr. Fatima Al-Jawan. He stressed that these procedures are not new and are followed in the private hospitals of the Ministry of Health and are followed strictly and strictly.
