MATERNAL HEALTH CARE – SCIENCE
News:
Apathy of family and high costs hinder maternal healthcare
What's in the news?
● According
to a report by the United Nations global progress on improving maternal and
newborn health has halted since 2015.
Key takeaways:
India and Maternal deaths:
● The
report said that India was among the 10
countries that together accounted for 60% of global maternal deaths,
stillbirths and newborn deaths.
● India
accounted for over 17% of such
deaths in 2020, followed by Nigeria (12%) and Pakistan (10%).
● It
is also reported that India had the second-highest number of maternal deaths
(24,000) after Nigeria.
Findings of the Report:
1. Less than four visits (recommended by WHO) to
antenatal care visits or ANC visits:
● During
antenatal care, health workers educate women about complications during
pregnancy and labour, and after childbirth.
● The
visits also help women get access to micronutrient supplementation (iron and
folic acid supplements) to prevent anaemia, which can lead to maternal and
perinatal mortality.
● It
also helps them seek treatment for hypertension to prevent eclampsia, and to
get immunization against tetanus and other endemic diseases.
2. Lack of awareness:
● More
importantly, only 39.9% of mothers who had no school education completed four
ANC visits compared to the 68.6% of those who completed 12 years of schooling.
3. Postnatal health check-up:
● Postnatal
care within the first two days after birth is recommended because mothers are
in their most vulnerable state in the postpartum period (42 days after childbirth).
● As per data most women
didn’t have at-least one postnatal checkup while others had a delayed check-up
two days after the childbirth.
4. Financial issue:
● Lack
of financial support is also an important factor with 27.7% citing lack of
finance for refusing such visits.
5. Tetanus shots:
● It
is also important to point out that 8% of Indian women did not receive tetanus
shots which helps prevent infections during and after surgery.
Causes of maternal and newborn deaths
1. Haemorrhage:
● Excessive
bleeding during or after childbirth, which can lead to shock and death.
2. Infection:
● Bacterial
or viral infections that affect the mother or the baby, such as sepsis,
tetanus, pneumonia, meningitis, etc.
3. Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia:
● A
condition characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine during
pregnancy, which can cause seizures and stroke in severe cases.
4. Obstructed labour:
● A
condition where the baby cannot pass through the birth canal due to its size,
position, or shape, or due to a problem with the mother’s pelvis or uterus.
5. Complications of unsafe abortion:
● Injuries
or infections caused by unsafe methods or untrained providers of induced
abortion.
6. Birth asphyxia:
● A
condition where the baby does not breathe adequately at birth, leading to brain
damage or death.
7. Prematurity:
● A
condition where the baby is born before 37 weeks of gestation, which increases
the risk of infections, breathing problems, bleeding in the brain, etc.
8. Congenital anomalies:
● Birth
defects that affect the structure or function of the baby’s organs or body
parts.
Recommendations:
● Scale-up access to
quality sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health
coverage and primary health care.
● Use
of technology -E.g., using a simple,
low-cost collection device called a ‘drape’ to reduce blood loss during
delivery.
● Addressing harmful gender
norms, biases and inequalities.
● Investment
and political commitment.
● Strengthening
service delivery for quality and
respectful care.
● Community engagement.
● Data
and information systems.
● Access
to quality emergency obstetric care
(EmOC).
The
UN report on maternal and newborn health is a wake-up call for the world to
take action now to save the lives of millions of women and babies who are dying
unnecessarily every year. It is also a reminder that improving maternal and newborn health is not only a moral obligation
but also a smart investment that can yield multiple benefits for
individuals, families, communities, and societies.