Hi-tech baby monitors for PoSGH

The minister was speaking to members of the media, yesterday, at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, Maternity Ward, as the new monitor was demonstrated with the assistance of mother-to-be, Nikki Moore, who said she felt comforted just hearing her baby’s heart beat. The monitors would be used to confirm or exclude foetal distress in relation to uterine contractions, continuous monitoring in cases of augmentation or induction of labour, assessment of foetal well-being and ascertaining any changes in wither the mother or the foetus’s condition which may require emergency intervention.

The monitor was also capable of monitoring triplets with its three-channel ultrasound tracing capability and coincidence detection between all heart rate channels.

Deyalsingh said for 2016 they have managed to keep the maternal and infant mortality rates down to the absolute minimum. “II want to continue that drive until we join the developed countries in their maternal and infant mortality rates. With these machines and the ongoing education and thrust, we will get there by 2020 or before.

For this year we have had no more than three or four maternal deaths and that is where we need to be,” he said.

He added that the monitors would be introduced to the other RHAs in due time.

He again urged expectant mothers to take care of themselves. “We can do everything and have the best systems, procedures, policies and doctors, but we need the personal responsibility of our mothers to take care of themselves.