2007
Reproductive Health
Focused Antenatal Care Acceptable, Tricky to
Implement
Appropriate antenatal
care is a key element of programs to improve the health of mothers and
newborns. Recently the Population Council and partners studied antenatal
care in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. These investigations showed that a
focused approach, emphasizing quality of care over quantity, is acceptable,
but can be difficult to implement because of scarce resources and staff
turnover.
2006
Safe Motherhood
Low Morale Found Among South African Nurses
The emigration of trained professionals poses
an ongoing challenge in South Africa. Among nurses, this phenomenon—and the
pressure it places on nurses who remain—may be contributing to a high rate
of maternal mortality in that country. The Population Council’s Frontiers in
Reproductive Health program, in collaboration with the University of
Witwatersrand, conducted a study to learn more about the workloads, morale,
and career plans of maternity nurses in South Africa.
2005
Violence Against Women
Physical Abuse Common During Pregnancy in South Asia, Studies Find
Population Council researchers recently completed studies in Pakistan and
Nepal of attitudes and behaviors surrounding violence against women
during pregnancy. These investigations were some of the first of their
kind in South Asia. They probed the level of awareness of domestic
violence among obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in Karachi,
Pakistan, and of OB/GYNs, assistant nurse midwives, and traditional
birth attendants in Kathmandu, Nepal. Postpartum women in Karachi and
Kathmandu were surveyed to augment knowledge about the scope, context,
and consequences of violence faced by pregnant women. Although
preliminary and limited to two urban areas, the studies suggest a high
level of physical abuse during pregnancy and provide some empirical
basis for developing realistic interventions to protect the lives of
women and their children.
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Safe Motherhood
Maternal Health Education Needed in Pakistan
The period of time after a woman gives birth, during which her
uterus shrinks and other physical changes that occurred during pregnancy
are reversed, is a crucial yet under-researched element of maternity.
Although the pregnancy has ended, serious diseases or disabilities
associated with pregnancy—such as infection or heavy bleeding—are still
possible. In fact, some traditional practices may increase the
likelihood of these maladies. Similarly, the neonatal period is critical
for infants, and some traditional practices may put their health at risk
as well. Fariyal F. Fikree, Population Council director of regional
health programs in Cairo, and her colleagues explored postpartum and
neonatal health, traditional beliefs and practices, and care-seeking
behaviors among new mothers in poor areas of Karachi, Pakistan.
2004
Safe Motherhood
Reducing C-Sections May Require Multifaceted Approach
Latin America has some of the highest rates of cesarean section in the
world, involving 25–30 percent of all deliveries. The World Health
Organization recommends a safe target rate for c-sections of 15 percent.
Researchers with the Latin American Cesarean Section Study Group,
including Population Council regional director Ana Langer, investigated
whether instituting mandatory second opinions in hospital obstetric wards
would reduce the rate of unnecessary cesarean sections.
2002
Reproductive Health
Maternal Deaths in the Dominican Republic Analyzed
In the Dominican Republic, 94 percent of women obtain prenatal care and 97
percent deliver in hospitals, conditions that generally bode well for
maternal health. Why then, researchers asked, is the country’s maternal
mortality rate so high, estimated at as many as 229 deaths per 100,000
live births? In the United States, the rate is 7.7 deaths per 100,000 live
births. After forming a multidisciplinary assessment team and analyzing
the country’s national reproductive health care program, Population
Council researchers and colleagues in the Dominican Republic identified
the answer: a lack of high-quality care in maternity wards.
Women's Health
Bridging the Safe Motherhood Knowledge Gap
A reduction in maternal deaths over the last decade and a half has proved
elusive. This may be due in part to the fact that safe motherhood programs
often have been created on the basis of ideas that initially seemed good
but had not been demonstrated to be effective. Two recent studies led by
Council researchers, one in conjunction with the Kintampo Health Research
Centre in Ghana, and another in Mexico, have highlighted the need for
identifying effective approaches before implementing them on a large
scale.
2001
Maternidad sin Riesgos
¿Las mujeres brasileñas pueden optar libremente por una cesárea?
En Brasil, más de 36% de todos los nacimientos son por cesárea y en
hospitales privados la prevalencia oscila entre 80–90%, una de las tasas
más elevadas a escala mundial. La prensa brasileña no especializada
describe a las brasileñas como personas que optan por el nacimiento
quirúrgico, y varios médicos afirman que lo que mantiene las elevadas
tasas de prevalencia son las exigencias de las mujeres mismas. Aunque la
literatura académica incluye las motivaciones de doctores y de mujeres,
rara vez se examinan las diferencias de poder que existen entre ellos.
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