Preventing infection during delivery

Infection makes people sick and can even kill them. It is one of the most common causes of death after childbirth. Most of your actions during labour and delivery can be safe only if you are able to follow the basic rules to prevent infection, as outlined in this section. You can summarise these rules as the 'three cleans': clean hands, clean surface (for the delivery) and clean equipment. You already know you must thoroughly clean the place where the baby will be born. In addition, you should follow other standard hygiene measures as described below.