Lecture 3.2: Maternal Health and Breastfeeding Flashcards
What is Maternal Health?
Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period (WHO)
Why is Maternal Health Important?
- Health status in early childhood key predictor of health
and attainment in adulthood - Maternal health during pregnancy, and the 15 months
following childbirth are key predictors of child health - Therefore, improving maternal health is an extremely
effective way of improving child health and the health
of generations to come
Major complications that account for nearly 75% of all
maternal deaths are…? (5)
- Severe bleeding (mostly postpartum)
- Infections (postpartum)
- High blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia
and eclampsia) - Complications from delivery
- Unsafe abortions
What are the remaining 25% of complications that account for maternal deaths? (2)
- Infections (e.g. malaria)
- Related chronic conditions (e.g. cardiac disease or
diabetes)
Factors Impacting Maternal Health (7)
- Race
- Poverty
- Education
- Access to healthcare
- Pre-existing conditions
- Adolescence Pregnancy
- Others: cultural norms, religion
Adolescent mothers and their babies face higher risks of…? (6)
- Eclampsia
- Puerperal endometritis
- Systemic infections
- Low birth weight
- Preterm birth
- Severe neonatal conditions
Recommended Practices for Pregnant People (4)
- Balanced diet
- Folic acid and vitamin D supplementation
- Reduce caffeine intake
- Exercise 150 minutes/week
Recommended Practices for the System in order to have better care for Pregnant People (7)
- Free, accessible family planning/ antenatal/postnatal
care - Screening for risk throughout pregnancy and postnatal
period - Cared for by specialist professionals
- Education
- Increase amount/time maternity pay
- Identify and acknowledging those individuals may be
higher risk due to non-health related factors - Challenging systemic biases
WHO Recommendations for Breastfeeding (4)
- Breastfeeding within the first hour of birth
- Exclusively breast fed for first 6 months
- Breastfeeding should be on demand
- From 6 months children should begin eating safe and
adequate complementary foods while continuing to
breast feed up to 2 years and beyond
Benefits of Breast Feeding for Mother (5)
Lowers Risk Of:
* Breast cancer
* Ovarian cancer
* Osteoporosis
* Cardiovascular Disease
* Obesity
Benefits of Breast Feeding for Infant (6)
- Tailor made nutrition!
Reduces risk of: - Infections (resp, meningitis, SIDS)
- ?atopic conditions
- Sudden infant death syndrome
- Obesity
- CVD
Key Steps in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (10)
1) Written policy in place for breastfeeding
2) Training the relevant staff in the implementation of
that policy
3) Giving information about benefits of breastfeeding to
all pregnant women
4) Helping start breastfeeding within 30mins after birth
5) Helping mothers start and maintain lactation even
when baby is in special care
6) Not offering any other food or milk to a new-born
unless prescribed
7) Not separating mothers from babies unless necessary
8) Encouraging mothers to breastfeed on demand
9) Not giving dummies to new-born babies
10) Creating breast-feeding support groups for mother
to be referred to
Pros for Formula Milk (3)
- Well rounded nutrition
- Others can help
- Diet does not affect milk
Cons for Formula Milk (3)
- Can be expensive
- Preparation and planning
- No antibodies
Pros for Breastfeeding (5)
- Free
- Convenient (on demand, no prep)
- Antibodies from mother
- Well rounded nutrition
- Mother constantly available
