In a conflict zone, getting the basics — food, water, shelter — is a constant challenge. And it likely involves being on the move.
Now imagine pregnancy. There might not be a functioning medical facility for miles. And the environment makes the woman and her baby more susceptible to complications.
Aid groups are increasingly relying on conflict midwives to help women in these situations. Take Emily Slocum, a midwife with Doctors Without Borders who worked with women affected by the violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some women traveled days to reach her.
The Congo war lasted from 1998 to 2004, but as NPR's John Burnett has reported, ongoing conflict continues to disrupt daily life. The country has millions of displaced people.
Slocum worked at a hospital in South Kivu, where the conflict still lingers, from November 2011 to May 2012. She tells Shots that one of the challenges was keeping underweight newborns warm. Without an incubator, the best practice is to have the mother to keep its body temperature up, she says. She had to teach nurses and mothers to do that when she arrived.
The full article continues at http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/07/11/201212747/Pregnant-And-Under-Fire-Delivering-In-A-War-Zone on NPR’s website.