Today marks one year since the entry into force of this regulation, which established a model of maternal and child care based on scientific evidence and was recognized by the international community for the positive results of its implementation.

The Born with Affection Law for Respectful Childbirth and Affectionate and Sensitive Care for the Newborn is one year old today since its entry into force, and the results of its implementation have allowed 69,125 babies to be born with many benefits.

Elisa Gamero, coordinator of health and nutrition projects in the office of First Lady Gabriela de Bukele, explained that the regulations allow mothers and their families to prepare for the moment of birth.

“It is important to mention the number of babies that have been born since the implementation of the law. We are talking about 69,125 babies who have been able to be born with care in El Salvador under a new care model, where their family has been able to be present and their mother has been able to prepare to receive them at this unique and important moment,” Gamero told ” El Salvador newspaper.

She also explained that nine out of 10 newborns have started breastfeeding in the first hour of life, a fact that generates short-, medium-, and long-term benefits for the baby and affects its development.

Another of the results of the law is the reduction of maternal deaths that occurred in the past due to direct causes or those related to pregnancy.

“According to the statistics that we keep, the rate of maternal deaths that we had when we started with the law was 62.8, and now we have it at 34.5. That is a significant accomplishment, because what we do at Salud protects the lives of the mother, the baby, and her family from a negative experience. Reducing maternal deaths has been very important,” Gamero stressed.

She added that the number of cesarean sections has decreased to 21.6% nationwide, a percentage that before the implementation of the regulations ranged between 40% and 80%.

The impact of the Nacer con Cariño Law has been exposed on an international scale by the first lady of the republic, Gabriela de Bukele, who visited the University of Pavia, in Italy, to publicize the care model that puts the binomial at the center: mother and son.

Likewise, the international community recognizes the work that the government of El Salvador has developed for the implementation of a new care model by having a respected childbirth law that benefits the population.

“It is with healthy pride that, as Salvadorans, we are being recognized for very good news. The Nacer con Cariño Law has caught the attention of the global community for two aspects: because it is not only a law that comes to recognize the rights of the mother, but also of the unborn baby and the newborn […] , and another aspect that draws attention is the speed with which the entire National Integrated Health System, including not only the Ministry of Health, but also Social Security, Teacher Welfare, Fosalud and the Military Health Command, have worked in a coordinated way. This is something that has not been seen in other countries,” said the official.

For the development of this new care model, professionals were trained in five new specialties: change managers, prenatal educators, breastfeeding advisors, maternal and child health promoters, and doula nurses; the latter of whom give advice to the mother.

To date, there are more than 15,000 professionals trained in the law, and others continue to be added as part of a continuous training process. These professionals accompany the mother, her family, and the baby throughout the pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum processes, something that did not exist before.

Mothers who have experienced the benefits that the law establishes testify to the marked difference that existed between past and current care.

Ana Valle, a resident of the Miramar canton, in Santa Isabel Ishuatán, in Sonsonate, shared her experience with “Diario El Salvador”. «In the sessions one gains courage, since I learned that one must feel safe, that we are unique and that our baby is unique. They have taught us the exercises for the moment of childbirth, the positions that one can choose for childbirth, and that our husband can be by our side to help us at that moment, “said Valle.