VOA标准英语2011--Emergency Birth Training Curbs Infant Mo

Emergency Birth Training Curbs¹ Infant Mortality

Responding immediately when newborns fail to breathe in the critical moments after birth could dramatically cut the number of infant deaths worldwide. That's the focus of a new training program for maternal³ healthcare workers.
An estimated one million newborns die each year of birth asphyxia, the failure to start or sustain breathing in the first moments after delivery.
If the newborn still does not begin breathing on their own, birth attendants are taught how to place a face mask on the baby's face to initiate⁴ respiration⁵.
Jeffrey Perlman, professor of pediatrics at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York, says the protocol⁶, carried out during the first minute of life, can reduce the newborn mortality rate by 50 percent.
Perlman says it also reduces the number of deaths from stillbirth, which is often simply a case of birth asphyxia.
"When a baby is born not breathing, it is often assumed that that is a stillbirth but that may not be the case," he says. "It may just be that the baby's not breathing but has a low heart rate. And we know that if you can effectively breathe for the baby, and it doesn't take too many assisted breaths, they will start breathing on their own."
Researchers conducting a 2009 pilot project with Helping⁷ Babies Breathe in Tanzania taught nurse-midwives, doctors and other medical personnel what immediate² steps they should take if a baby is born not breathing, including how to use bulb suction and bag-mask ventilation devices.
Data collected at four hospitals, for three months before and three months after initiation⁸ of the program, showed the death rate dropped from 13 deaths per 1,000 births to just over six deaths per 1,000 deliveries.
Perlman is excited by the results. "If we can sustain that reduction, it will represent for the first time a reversal of asphyxia-related birth mortality."
Perlman says the simple strategies to initiate breathing during the first minute of delivery - which he calls "the golden minute" - could go a long way toward helping developing countries meet the United Nations' Millennium⁹ Development goal of slashing¹⁰ infant mortality by two-thirds by 2015.
"It's beautiful to actually see the nurse midwives and others taking possession and understanding why it's so important to initiate the breathing within the Golden Minute. They've seen tangible¹¹ results."

1 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

4 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

5 respiration   

n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用

参考例句：

• They tried artificial respiration but it was of no avail.他们试做人工呼吸，可是无效。
• They made frequent checks on his respiration,pulse and blood.他们经常检查他的呼吸、脉搏和血液。

6 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 initiation   

n.开始

参考例句：

• her initiation into the world of marketing 她的初次涉足营销界
• It was my initiation into the world of high fashion. 这是我初次涉足高级时装界。

9 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

10 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

11 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。