usually one at a time. From this point on, it is essential to remember that the baby is VERY slippery, and great care must be taken so that you do not drop it. The surface beneath the mother should extend at least 2 feet out from the buttocks so that the baby would not be hurt if it did slip out of your hands. Keep one hand beneath the baby’s head, and use the other to support its emerging body.
Once the baby has been born, suction the nose and mouth again if breathing has not started. Wipe the face, nose, and mouth clean with sterile gauze. Your reward will be the baby’s hearty greeting to the world.
Clamp the umbilical cord as the pulsations cease. Use two clamps from the prepackaged sterile delivery pack, 2 inches apart, with the first clamp 6 to 8 inches from the navel. Cut between the clamps. For safety, use gauze tape to tie the cord 1 inch from the clamp toward the navel. Secure the tie with a square knot. Wrap the child in a warm, sterile blanket and log the time of the child’s arrival.
The placenta (afterbirth) will deliver itself in 10 to 20 minutes. This can be aided by massaging the mother’s lower abdomen. Do not pull on the placenta. Log the time of its delivery, and wrap it up for hospital analysis. Place a small strip of tape (1/2 inch wide), folded and inscribed with the date, time of delivery, and mother’s name, around the baby’s wrist.
COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDBIRTH
Breech Delivery
If the baby’s legs and buttocks emerge first, follow the steps for a normal delivery, supporting the lower extremities with one hand. If the head does not emerge within 3 minutes, try to maintain an airway by gently pushing fingers into the vagina, pushing the vagina away from the face and opening the baby’s mouth with one finger. Get medical aid immediately.
Prolapsed Cord
If the cord precedes the baby, protect it with moist, sterile wraps. If a physician cannot be reached soon, place the mother in an extreme shock position, give her oxygen if available, and gently move your gloved hand into the vagina to keep its walls and the baby from compressing the cord. Get medical aid immediately.
Excessive Bleeding
If bleeding is severe, treat the mother for shock and give her oxygen. Place sanitary napkins over the vaginal entrance and rush her to a hospital.
Limb Presentation
If a single limb presents itself first, get the mother immediately to a hospital.
RESCUE AND TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURES
It is a basic principle of first aid that an injured person must be given essential treatment BEFORE being moved. However, it is impossible to treat an injured person who is in a position of immediate danger. If the victim is drowning, or if his or her life is endangered by fire, steam, electricity, poisonous or explosive gases, or other hazards, rescue must take place before first aid treatment can be given.
The life of an injured person may well depend upon the manner in which rescue and transportation to a medical treatment facility are accomplished. Rescue operations must be accomplished quickly, but unnecessary haste is both futile and dangerous. After rescue and essential first aid treatment have been given, further transportation must be accomplished in a manner that will not aggravate the injuries. As a corpsman it may be your responsibility to direct, and be the primary rescuer in, these operations. The life and safety of the victim and the members of the rescue team may rest on your decisions.
In this section, we will consider the use of common types of protective equipment, phases of rescue operations, ways of effecting rescue from dangerous situations, emergency methods of moving injured persons to safety, and procedures for transporting them after first aid has been given.
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
The use of appropriate items of protective equipment will increase your ability to effect rescue from life-threatening situations. Protective equipment that is generally available on naval vessels and some shore activities include the oxygen breathing apparatus (OBA); hose (air line) masks; protective (gas) masks; asbestos suits; steel-wire life lines; and devices for detecting