The impact of birth kits on traditional midwifery practice in an area of inland Kenya

摘要

This paper arises as part of a larger study exploring the experiences of traditional midwives in an area of inland Kenya. This part of the study was to learn from traditional midwives (TMs) if and how the provision of birth kits impacted on their practice. The birth kits were provided by funding from the Australian government (AusAid) and distributed free of charge by Birthing Kits Foundation Australia (BFKA). Each small disposable birth kit contains a clean plastic sheet, soap for hand washing, a pair of disposable gloves, a cord clamp (previously string) to clamp the umbilical cord, a sterile scalpel to cut the cord and sterile swabs to wipe the newborn's eyes and to prevent blood splatter when the cord is cut.