Description

This kit has been designed for assisted deliveries that require the support of manual vacuum extraction. Its use is intended for skilled health personnel only, including doctors, midwives, and nurses with midwifery skills. 

In vacuum-assisted vaginal deliveries, healthcare workers use a vacuum device to help guide the baby out of the birth canal. The vacuum device, known as a vacuum extractor, uses a soft cup that attaches to the baby’s head with suction.

This kit includes reusable equipment. 

Context of use

This kit is to be used in a health centre or hospital-level clinical setting during deliveries requiring vacuum extraction assistance .

Adapted from UN Population Fund (UNFPA) guidance, this kit is one part of the Primary Health-care Facility Level (BEMONC) kit series (UNFPA, 2019). This collection of kits have been designed to support the clinical delivery of a basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care (BEmONC) service within a clinical health setting, such as a health centre or hospital level facility. 

For further details of the other kits relevant to the provision of a BEmONC service, see the following: Clinical delivery assistance - Midwifery supplies: Reusable equipment, Clinical delivery assistance, Midwifery supplies, Drugs and Disposable Equipment, Repair of Cervical and Vaginal Tears Kit and Management of Complications of Miscarriage or Abortion.

Together these kits have been specifically developed to expediate the provision of lifesaving reproductive health services in acute humanitarian settings, primarily within Low and Middle income countries. They may also be useful to services addressing primary healthcare needs in higher income countries during certain circumstances (e.g. natural disasters). 

A rapid assessment of the local situation is advised to confirm the need for any reproductive health kit prior to kit procurement. This will include a review of existing healthcare resources and health facility capacity as well as an assessment of the expected health needs specific to the target population. If possible this assessment should utilize available pre-crisis demographic and services data.

Source

Inter-Agency Emergency Reproductive Health Kits for Use in Humanitarian Settings, 6th edition (UNFPA, 2019, p.47)

Information materials and guidelines intended to accompany kit:  

• Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth: A guide for midwives and doctors. WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, EN. pp.365-372.
• Use of vacuum extractor in assisted delivery wall chart, adapted from WHO, PATH, EN/FR/AR/SP.

Please refer to kit attachments for the documents that are currently available for convenient download.

Solution creators

This solution was developed by Paula Przybylowicz Vidal with contributions from Stevie-Jade Beeby and Anuradha Dissanayake.