Five Students from the Faculty of Medicine (FK) and the Faculty of Engineering (FT) Universitas Brawijaya offer a solution to reduce cases of newborn mortality due to asphyxia or lack of oxygen in the body.
One of the causes of asphyxia is meconium aspiration syndrome. Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a collection of symptoms caused by the inhalation of meconial amniotic fluid into the baby’s respiratory tract.
MECTION is a tool for handling cases of asphyxia or respiratory failure in newborns for cases of meconium aspiration syndrome. MECTION sucks fluid through a suction pump equipped with positive pressure oxygen supportive therapy.
The pressure generator comes from a vacuum pump connected to an interceptor.
This device is also equipped with a positive pressure oxygen therapy system to optimize resuscitation of baby so that oxygen diffusion occurs optimally, where the flow rate and concentration can be easily and practically regulated by health workers.
MECTION succeeded in obtaining research funding from the Ministry of Education in the Student Creativity Week in the field of creative initiative.
The team consisted of five students, including Syahrillah Mardiyyah Ahyani as chairman, Shafina Rifdayanti Zein, M. Fakhri Al Faruq, Yusf Giri Asmara, and M. Rafi Adi Wibowo as members, under the guidance of dr. Eriko Prawetiningtyas Sp.F. We will continue our struggle towards the 34th National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS 34) 2021.
“We hope that this innovation can be a solution in the future to face problems in the health sector and benefit the community, health centers and hospitals in handling cases of meconium aspiration in newborns which is still lack of facilities,” said Syahrillah, representing her team.
The infant mortality rate is one of the important indicator in determining the level of public health since it can describe the health of population in general.
In the 2019 Indonesian Health Profile, the second largest cause of death is asphyxia.
Asphyxia that occurs in infants or perinatal asphyxia can cause several health problems of infant mortality.
Some health problems due to asphyxia are hypoxemia, hypercarbia, decreased perfusion, acidosis and hypoglycemia that cause damage to the baby’s entire body system. (SYH/Humas UB/ Trans. Iir)
