Natural Ventilation in Maternity Hospitals

Abstract

Fresh air in maternity hospital buildings has positive effects on the users such as improved healing for patients and increased productivity of staff. Poor air quality in indoor spaces has been linked with occupant discomfort. Symptoms such as dry skin, lethargy, and nasal inflammation have been linked to suboptimal indoor air quality due to low volumes of fresh air within the spaces, attributed to low air change rates (Eijekelnboom & Bluyssen, 2019). Passive ventilation systems have proven to have the ability to provide high air change rates which provide the necessary fresh air for the wellbeing of patients in maternity hospitals and the general users of the buildings. The recommended air changes per hour for a maternity hospital in general ranges from 6 ACH to 20 depending on the room function. This research sets out to establish the application of natural ventilation in maternity hospitals to achieve the required air changes. Existing literature on natural ventilation for indoor air quality in maternity hospitals is examined with a view to understand ventilation requirements of maternity hospital patient and staff rooms. It studies building ventilation in organized maternity facilities to gauge their effectiveness and establish strategies for application of passive ventilation to provide optimal indoor air quality. It proposes strategies for the use of natural ventilation as the dominant method for provision of fresh air in maternity hospitals. Case studies of selected maternity hospitals are documented and an assessment of their indoor air quality is carried out based on established symptoms of ventilation problems. These markers are analysed against established standards of indoor air quality in maternity hospital rooms. The research also makes a review of documented studies that link indoor air quality to the patient and staff experiences. The literature suggests a that discomfort and infection rates are diminished when the air quality is fresh. The data shows that in describing indoor air quality for maternity spaces, concentrations of contaminants in the air should be kept at a minimum and the ventilation system should provide for this. In the case of controlled maternity hospital environments minimal mechanical ventilation and air conditioning can be used. The study concludes that natural ventilation can be used extensively to provide fresh air in maternity hospitals and in controlled patient rooms, minimal mechanical ventilation may be applied. Key words: maternity hospital, indoor air quality, fresh air, passive ventilation