Jose Miguel and Nathalie
by Aria Boutet
Recently, Donna Mitchell – a midwife from Alabama and Dar a Luz volunteer – was able to raise funds to donate a model of the human pelvis and a fetal mannequin with fontanels to Dar a Luz for Hospital Atlantida Nuevo in La Ceiba. With the agreement of La Ceiba’s staff, the pelvis (who goes by the name “Natalie”) and the fetal baby doll (“Jose Miguel”), now live in the labor and delivery ward. Interns, residents and nurses may use both to better understand fetal positioning and descent through the pelvis and birth canal.
Donations of teaching tools are essential in hospitals such as these, where large numbers of student doctors (interns) and doctors in their obligatory “social year” pass through. We have the opportunity to provide some of these future doctors with a better understanding of normal birth. Residents and interns are receptive: within the first day of the pelvis’ arrival, a student doctor piped up that he still didn’t understand how to assess the position of the baby in the pelvis. Later, we noted at least 5 interns crowded around the pelvis and baby doll!
Many thanks to Donna Mitchell and her community for their generous donation!
