The campaign employs Essential Newborn Care (ENC) Protocol as a strategy to improve the health of the newborn through interventions before conception, during pregnancy, at and soon after birth, and in the postnatal period.
The ENC Protocol provides an evidence-based, low cost, low technology package of interventions that will save thousands of lives.
- Based on health statistics, the Philippines is one of the 42 countries that account for 90% of under-five mortality worldwide.
- 82,000 Filipino children under five years old die every year.
- 37% of them are newborn.
- Majority of them (3/4) die within the first two days of life. Mostly due to stressful events or conditions during labor, delivery and immediate postpartum period.
The current practice of handling newborns, like clamping and cutting the umbilical cord and washing the baby right after birth, have been known to actually contribute to the high incidence of neonatal deaths and illnesses in the country. Thus the need for a paradigm shift from the prevailing standard procedures into the new protocol.
Health Secretary Duque explained that the ENC Protocol involves focusing on the first hours of life of the newborn with the manual guiding health workers in providing evidence-based essential newborn care.
The ENC Time-bound Interventions
TIME BOUND PROCEDURES
Time bound procedures should be routinely performed first – immediate drying, skin-to-skin contact followed by clamping of the cord after one to three minutes or until pulsations have stopped, non-separation of the newborn from the mother and breastfeeding initiation.NON TIME-BOUND PROCEDURES
Non time-bound interventionshould only be done after the first full breastfeed. These are immunizations, eye care, Vitamin K administration and weighing. Washing must be postponed by at least 6 hours as this will hinder the crawling reflex.UNNECESSARY PROCEDURES
The so-called unnecessary procedures include routine suctioning, routine separation of newborns for observations, administration of prelacteals like glucose, water formula and footprinting.Nurses who would be taking the licensure examination this July 2011, should update themselves with the said procedures as they will be used as a basis for newborn care questions.
