Stories From The Field
Alex Juste
A healthy entrance into this life is the birthright of every child. Yet in Haiti, a healthy birth is not taken for granted. Most Haitian women lack the finances for an institutional delivery and do not have access to professional services. Over 80% of all births in Haiti occur at home and 50% of those without any outside assistance.
Traditional Birth Attendants, or midwives, are the principal sources of care for pregnant women in Haiti. International Child Care trains Traditional Birth Attendants in the techniques of delivery, importance of hygiene during pregnancy and delivery, signs of complications in pregnancy or delivery, and the dangers of certain traditional practices. Once formally trained, a Traditional Birth Attendant receives a certificate and delivery kit, and is required to attend annual refresher courses.
Alex Juste, just sixteen days old, was delivered at home with the assistance of Marie Dorilia Clergè Coicou, an ICC trained Traditional Birth Attendant. Marie Dorilia has practiced midwifery since 1971 and was formally trained by International Child Care in 1999. She has never lost a baby in delivery.
Alex, and his three and half year old sister, live with their parents on Delmas 33, a neighborhood just two streets over from Grace Children’s Hospital. Alex’s father works for a Coca-Cola bottling company in Port-au-Prince and his mother, Maryse, works as a vendor selling Coke in bulk to other vendors so they can take it back to their own neighborhoods and sell it to help support their families.
Thanks to the assistance of Traditional Birth Attendant Marie Dorila, Maryse was able to deliver her healthy son, Alex, safely at home.
