Nutrition Education Workshops in Communities

The maternal healthcare house (Casa Materna) staff and Global HEED lead micronutrient education workshops followed by interactive cooking sessions with various women’s groups, called Care Groups. Before the cooking sessions, there is a lesson prepared for the women about the nutritional content of the recipes that they are going to prepare, and how the nutrients in the foods would impact their child’s health.

All of the women in the Care Groups are encouraged to bring their children to the sessions, as well as other individuals who may be interested in learning more about nutrition and cooking methods (these are usually their younger female siblings, women’s mothers or mothers-in-law). After the lessons, all the women participate in the preparation of the healthy meals that they will also provide to their children at the end of the cooking session. The weight and length measurements of the children under 5 years old are also recorded, so that over time we can assess how the education and cooking sessions have impacted the nutritional status of the Calhuitz’ children.

One of the main focuses of the workshops is to teach the women that they can make healthy and delicious meals for their families with ingredients that are available in the village, meaning that we emphasize that the food items that are used can be grown at home or obtained in a nearby village. This is a very important message, since a lot of the women believe that they need to buy things that come from the main cities in order to properly feed their children. Since food insecurity (due to seasonality) and nutritional transition (due to the introduction of deep-fried, processed foods and sugary drinks) are significant issues in this region, our nutrition sessions seek to reduce the number of underweight and stunted infants in the village, while also seeking to prevent the incidence of nutrition-based non-communicable diseases.

Health Education Workshops in Communities

Similar to the Nutrition workshops, the Health education workshops were also divided in an instructive segment and an interactive segment. For example, during a hygiene and hand-washing education session, the workshop began with an oral survey that allowed us to identify the women’s current practices and background knowledge on the subject. We then proceeded to talk and teach the women about important hygiene practices, focusing on disease prevention, with the help of materials prepared prior to the talk.

In the case of hand-washing, the interactive section of the hygiene workshop entailed a demonstration of how the women should wash their hands and the hands of their children. The steps in hand-washing were written in a poster in both Spanish and Chuj, and were read out loud by one of the women, while we demonstrated the proper technique for hand-washing. Following this demonstration, we asked two of the women to volunteer and show the techniques for washing their hands and the hands of their children to all of us (the same procedure was used for tooth-brushing).

Reproductive Health/Childbirth Education for Women

These sessions are hosted by the Casa Materna, with Global HEED’s assistance, on the signs of danger before/during/after pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhaging, family planning and the emergency plan.  The project’s purpose is to aid the women to be aware of times or circumstances in which they might need to contact a health provider or go to the Casa Materna. The earlier women are able to recognize these signs, the higher the probability that the Casa Materna staff can ensure the survival of the mother and baby.

Childbirth Delivery in Calhuitz

The Calhuitz’ Casa Materna officially opened its doors to the San Sebastian Coatan community in May of 2009. While it is a Chuj tradition for the women to deliver their babies at home in company of their families and midwife, many women from Calhuitz and the surrounding villages come to the Casa Materna to deliver their babies. Since its inauguration, there has been an increase in the community’s trust on the Casa Materna as well as greater utilization of the facilities by the women and midwifes of the community. This has led to safer deliveries, and it is expected to improve and reduce the current maternal and newborn mortality rates.

Training of Traditional Midwives (“Comadronas” in Spanish)

The Casa Materna, as mandated by the Guatemalan Ministry of Health, hosts training sessions for community midwives and health promoters. The midwives’ monthly sessions train them on recognizing signs of danger before/during/after pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhaging, and emergency obstetric care. Demonstrations are given with the presentations, an example being the use of a doll to show what would be the optimal positioning of the baby in the womb. The training sessions for the health promoters are also held monthly, and they cover broader topics such as hygiene, immunizations, signs of danger of the pregnant woman and of the child, etc.

Administering Pre-Natal Screenings

We assist the Casa Materna staff in measuring and recording the weight and height of pregnant women, fundal height (to assess fetal growth and development) and determining the fetal heart rate. We also assist in screening for edema, reproductive tract infections and high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia). Also, if the nurse and the patient allow it, we may also assist nurses during pap-screens.

Administering Vaccinations at the Casa Materna and within Communities

H1N1 vaccinations, MMR, DPT, Tetanus and a bevy of other vaccinations are administered within by Casa Materna to the Calhuitz community and to surrounding villages. Mayors and health promoters from the communities are contacted and told when the Casa Materna staff will be coming to their community, so that they can alert all the community members. On the date of the visit, women & children gather on the designated day to receive vaccinations and micronutrient supplementation (e.g. iron, folic acid tablets, albendazole, Vitacereal, Macrovital, etc). The administration of vaccinations is conducted according to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health’s schedule of infant immunizations (very similar to the US, except for the addition of the BCG vaccine). Tetanus shots are provided for women of childbearing age (and anyone else who needs them), and the H1N1 vaccine is administered to pregnant women.

Measuring Vital Signs for Babies / Young Children in Communities

Measurements of weight, length and arm circumference are taken monthly for children under 5 years old in order to screen for chronic and acute malnutrition. While the outreach activities to the community mostly focus on this aspect, the staff members also provide consults for individuals who seek medical care. The staff often checks for hepatitis A, jaundice and signs of other diseases. The caregivers are then given a prescription thaft they can fill at their closest pharmacy (usually the ones in Calhuitz or in San Jose).

Supply of Medication

We are currently working with the Casa Materna’s staff to create an updated list of supplies and medicines needed. Through the assistance of Medshare, Global HEED has sent over 50 pounds of medication to the Casa Materna during the winter of 2010. We intend to continue to supply and distribute large quantities of medication within Calhuitz in the future. In addition, Summer Fellows and Graduate Fellows also have the opportunity to contribute with medications and other types of donations to the Casa Materna.