Maternal and child health
Photo: Azizur Rahim Peu / Driknews
Knowledge and practices relating to the newborn period, is needed in the development of interventions to reduce Maternal and child mortality. Although fatalism and cultural acceptance of high mortality have been cited as reasons for high levels of neonatal mortality, families seek to protect newborns in several ways.
Socio-cultural and health service factors are associated with maternal deaths in rural area. Reviewing cases of maternal deaths of women who had sought medical attention, it is found that factors associated with maternal deaths included bad experience with the health care system, prolonged transportation, seeking care at more than one medical facility, underestimation of the severity of the complication, delay in reaching an appropriate medical facility, delay in receiving prompt and appropriate care after reaching the hospital and lack of transportation.
Disorganized health care with lack of prompt response to emergencies is a major factor contributing to a continued high mortality rate. It is widely understood that maternal health care relies on the entire health system. However, little empirical, country-specific, research has been done to trace out the ways in which health system elements can shape maternal health outcomes.
There should be nurses and midwives with tools to effectively participate in and influence health care planning and policy-making.
Comments