Essential Newborn Care: Unang Yakap Campaign

On December 7, 2009, the Department of Health launched the Unang Yakap Campaign. With this campaign, the DOH aims to cut down infant mortality in the Philippines by at least half.

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 shifts 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.

UNANG YAKAP protocols of DOH Objective 1: Dry and provide warmth and prevent hypothermia. Double gloves before delivery. USe clean, dry cloth to thoroughly dry the baby. Do a quick check on breathing while drying. Do not put the baby on cold or wet surface. Do not bathe earlier than 6 hours after delivery. Put in a warm safe place close to the mother. (if the baby is to be departed from the mother)

Objective 2: Facilitate bonding between the mother and baby through skin-to-skin contact to reduce likelihood of infection and hypoglycemia. Place the baby prone on the mothers abdomen or chest. Cover the babys back with blanket; head with bonnet. Put an ID band on babys ankle. If possible, do not separate the baby to the mother.

Objective 3: Reduce incidence of anemia in term newborns and intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm newborns by delaying cord clamping. Remove first set of gloves immediately prior to cord clamping. Clamp the cord after pulsation have stopped (1-3 minutes). Do not milk toward the newborn. Clamp 2cm and 5 cm from the newborns abdomen and cut the cord between the 2 clamps. Administer 10 iu of oxytocin to the mother.

Objective 4.1: Facilitate initiation of breastfeeding. Observe newborn for feeding cues: opening of mouth, tonguing, licking and rooting. Encourage newborn to move towards the breast.

Objective 4.2: Proper eyecare and immunization procedures.