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Liza has recently given birth to her second child after a long and complicated labour. She was rushed to hospital because there were fears for her unborn child’s safety. The longer labour is delayed, the more chance there is of harming the baby.
Her baby boy, Tamim, was finally born. But the delay has had serious consequences - Tamim has been injured after being starved of oxygen during delivery.
Asphyxia is one of the most common killers of newborns in Bangladesh. Tamim appeared to be dead, but he surprised everyone by taking his first deep breath twenty minutes after he was born.
Liza remained in hospital with her baby for several days, until Tamim was well enough to go home. But oxygen deprivation doesn’t just weaken babies - it can cause brain damage.
Liza’s first weeks at home with Tamim weren’t easy. He’s not breast-feeding. Liza knows in her heart that there is a real problem. But she and her husband are drawing on their faith to help them through.
Six weeks after the birth, they’ve been referred to a specialist at a government hospital. Tamim hasn’t managed to feed correctly, his back is arching and he’s still having convulsions. The future is uncertain for this young child but he is admitted to hospital where he can receive the very best modern medicine can offer.
As I flew into Dhaka for the second time, I was startled to see that what had been agricultural land and urban sprawl only six weeks before, was now a vast collections of islands, attached every so often by high ground. It was July and the monsoons had hit Bangladesh.
On our first trip, I had been assured that the return would be easier on my weak European constitution, the rains bringing some relief from the intense heat. But as we left the airport and the wall of hot damp air hit me, our fixer confessed: “Bangladesh is either really hot or really wet and really hot “ - the rains would provide no respite for our team.
We spent the next three weeks catching-up with our young mothers. Some were struggling to ensure their fragile newborns’ survival, others enjoying their thriving children - chubby and full of life. The most difficult moments for me were following Liza and her baby. After suffering a lack of oxygen at birth, baby Tamim’s first month at home was difficult one. The baby was not feeding and continuing to experience seizures. It was anxious time for the parents, as we followed them through their brave struggle to understand their child’s illness.
Once again, I felt extremely privileged to be able to spent time with these families – to witness both intimate and difficult moments. From the medical community to the village level, I was inspired by the incredible effort being made to improve the lives children in Bangladesh. So many were working with little or no resources. I left feeling that only this kind of cooperation could improve the fate of vulnerable children around the world.
