One baby's omphalocele and yesterday's story of trauma.

What a cutie pie!
The nurses here will be changing the gauze on this little one's omphalocele daily.

A few weeks ago, this baby was born and we brought him to the main hospital in Cap-Haitien thinking he would receive surgery. We placed a sterile saline dressing on this baby's abdomen with plastic wrap over it to keep it moist. I was surprised yesterday to see this baby in the clinic and decided to take these pictures. This condition is called an omphalocele.

According to PubMed, "an omphalocele is a birth defect in which the infant's intestine or other abdominal organs stick out of the belly button (navel). In babies with an omphalocele, the intestines are covered only by a thin layer of tissue and can be easily seen." It is not uncommon for this condition to be accompanied by other birth defects, so I hope to see this baby often in the clinic so I can check on him.

Wish I had the "man-made" cover for this baby omphalocele, as mentioned in the PubMed article.

You might ask, "How is this dealt with?" The following is an excerpt from PubMed: 

Omphaloceles are repaired with surgery, although not always immediately. A sac protects the abdominal contents and allows time for other more serious problems (such as heart defects) to be dealt with first, if necessary.

To fix an omphalocele, the sac is covered with a special man-made material, which is then stitched in place. Slowly, over time, the abdominal contents are pushed into the abdomen.

When the omphalocele can comfortably fit within the abdominal cavity, the man-made material is removed and the abdomen is closed.

Sometimes the omphalocele is so large that it cannot be placed back inside the infant's abdomen. The skin around the omphalocele grows and eventually covers the omphalocele. The abdominal muscles and skin can be repaired when the child is older to achieve a better cosmetic outcome.

This baby is breastfeeding and producing diapers with both pee and poo. That's a good sign!

Here's an example of a tap-tap which is the mode of transport for many Haïtians here. Many people use motorcyles and I have even seen a mom carrying her baby while she sat on the back. There are no traffic signals and the roads are in horrible condition with many potholes. Thus, we see a lot of motorcycle accident victims. Yesterday evening, I was asked to bring the ambulance to the hospital and  we quickly rushed a little girl, about 8 years old to Justinian hospital in Cap-Haitien. She was bleeding from her ears and nose. I was very concerned she might stop breathing on the way. It was dark in the ambulance and I could barely see to adjust her IVF's.  My attempt to feel her chest rise was frequently interrupted by my inability to keep myself seated.  I'm thankful to say she was still breathing when we arrived, but I don't know if she made it. She was unresponsive and her pupils were fixed. Please pray!

Mama Baby Haiti

I've realized that the 1st month's time in Haiti, I was unable to keep up on posting, so now it's catch-up time. Within the first week, I met Mama Baby Haiti, the non-profit that's located just down the road from me. The mission of these midwives and naturopathic docs is to lower the maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality rate in Haiti. They graciously agreed to let me come with them to one of their weekly rural clinics. We walked up a dirt road, past a creek, to a remote location in Morne Rouge, where people have set up a school and where a local congregation also meets on Sundays. The congregation has been trying to build a church for years, but lacks funds. The school is in bad shape, it has a roof, partial walls, broken chairs and is decorated with faux flowers that hang from the ceilings. Plastic flowers usually upset me, but these preciously positioned ornamentations sweetly hung in the breeze. I was touched by the care people have for this space.

At the school/church in rural Haiti's Morne Rouge.

The clinic quickly filled with kids and breastfeeding moms, and I assisted with assessments, taking vitals and listening to heart, lung and bowels. 
I was shocked to see how many rashes and skin infections the kids had and initially wished we had a dermatologist with us, but the 3 docs with Mama Baby Haiti confidently treated these infections. 
I learned a great deal from these doctors that day.

This little girl, about 6 years old, has a terrible infection that was treated during Mama Baby Haiti's rural clinic.

Two out of the three Mama Baby Haiti naturopathic doctors, Sarah and Sean, standing in front of this Grandmother's house. She cares for at least 8 kids and reports she struggles to provide meals.

These doctors truly care about the community in which they serve and are hard at work. I just spoke to Dr. Sean Hesler this evening, he told me they're swamped with patients and normally have to turn many away. 2 days a week they see children, 1 day adults, and 2 days are reserved for prenatal care. They have a wonderful birthing space for delivering, equipped with the essentials, in case of complications. As they treat patients, they focus on supporting the immune system.  Please visit their amazing website and blogs!

Mama Baby Haiti Website:
http://www.mamababyhaiti.org

Mama Baby Haiti Blogs:
http://www.doktesarah.com/
http://drseanx.com/

I am inspired by their hearts, physical work and their vegetable garden to boot!

Here I am my 1st week in Haiti, with Mama Baby Haiti staff and my excellent interpreter Joseph. 

Shada A.K.A. Slums of Cap-Haitien

Two weeks ago, I spent time with some dentists in Shada, the slums of Cap. Since then, I've been able to visit 3 times. Food for the Poor distributed furniture for the lone clinic there, along with 10 bags of rice and soy! I was blessed to participate in these distributions and learn about this community. Coming here is like walking into an infomericial for Feed the Children or another non-profit, except with the added sensory experience of smell. The stench is strong but the children's curiosity and beauty quickly help you ignore your olfactory system.

The people of Shada.

Shada, at the edge of the ocean.

People waiting for the dental clinic in Shada.
I went 2 weeks ago to help American dentists and to learn a technique used for cavities when little to no supplies can be found.

Timoun ak mwen (Children and me). This was my 1st day in Shada. 

Myself and Madame Bwa. Madame is a lay healthcare worker who lives and runs a clinic in Shada. 

This little girl is obviously malnourished. Her hair is red. This meal was provided by Food for the Poor and Madame Bwa. 

Food for the Poor provided rice and soy for these kids, while  the community added bean sauce, okra, oil , time and love. Madame Bwa said she had to spend her own money to provide the extra ingredients.

Beautiful children!

This little twin is not a newborn. According to her mom, she's 3 months old.

Aww! No scraps for these guys...no crumbs to give.

I spend most mornings at St. Francois de Sales clinic with some runs to Justinian Hospital in the afternoon or evenings to transfer patients. Since my last post I transported a baby born with gastroschisis, a woman in hypertensive crisis, a dehydrated boy who has a heart murmur and a woman hit by a motorcycle. The roads are in despicable shape and I'm so grateful that I'm not the driver. Since my last post, I've come to learn that the woman who drank battery acid survived and is at home!