Maternal and Child Health Issues in Developing Countries

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH (MCH)

Status of women and Children in Developing Countries: Throughout the world, women and children are the most vulnerable and the least serviced In the less technically developed areas of the world, disease and death take the highest to all among mothers and children who make up over two- thirds of the population. 6/27/2025 2

Prenatal mortality may be as much as ten times higher than that of infants born in industrialized countries: the infant mortality rate may be six to twenty times greater than that of the industrialized regions of Europe and North America; the death rate among pre-school children is also up to ten times as high. 6/27/2025 3

Furthermore, in technically underdeveloped countries half of the total mortality may occur in children under 5 years of age compared to only 5% in countries such as United Kingdom and Sweden. This pattern of death and ill health extends to women not only in the form of maternal mortality, but also in the form of morbidity. Maternal mortality reaches as high as 1,000 per 100,000 live births in developing countries compared to 5 to 30 per 100,000 in industrialized countries. 6/27/2025 4

Women who do not die in childbirth suffer from a number of debilitating conditions including: maternal depletion related to pregnancy at an early age; continuous cycles of pregnancy; inadequate diet leading malnutrition and; heavy work-load . to anemia or 6/27/2025 5

All these factors result in premature aging, disease, and early death. Apart from the effect of depletion on the mother, the fetus and her dependent children, the economic consequences may also be considerable. 6/27/2025 6

Historical Development of MCH Services: The term maternal and child health refers to promotive, preventive, rehabilitative health care for mothers and children. It includes the sub-areas of maternal health, child health, family planning, school health and adolescent health. The specific objectives of MCH are: Reduction of maternal, prenatal, infant and child mortality; curative and 6/27/2025 7

Promotion of reproductive health and; Promotion of the physical and psychological development of the child and adolescent within the family. 6/27/2025 8

There have been great improvements in health and medical care in this century and it is in the field of mother and child health that progress has been most noticeable. In most ancient societies less than 50% of the babies born alive survived to maturity. Modern medicine has learned not only how to cure many diseases; it has also discovered that the vast majority of children s disorders are preventable. 6/27/2025 9

In technically advanced countries, the survival rate is over 97% while in less developed countries over 50% of total deaths are of children under the age of 5, and the average life span is about 35 years. 6/27/2025 10

Inadequate facilities and resources for antenatal and delivery care underlie the poor coverage of maternal health care. Unwanted and unplanned pregnancies are important determinants of ill health. The lack of family planning underlies many unplanned pregnancies, and contributes to the high maternal mortality. and unwanted 6/27/2025 11

Main Reasons for prioritizing MCH services Children are the future of the nation or community. This is a sentimental or a nationalistic statement but a simple fact, a community survival value rests with its children. Women and children form the majority of the population. This is particularly true in less developed areas where the life span is short; the population is mainly made up of the younger age groups. 6/27/2025 12

The health of mothers and infants is inter-related. The majority of conditions women suffer during pregnancy, and deliveries that increase the risk of death, severe morbidity to them have also an adverse effect on the fetuses or the newborn. Mothers and children are particularly vulnerable to disease. Less developed countries may have up to 20% of their total deaths in children under 5 years of age, and there are even higher percentages of maternal mortality, which inevitably have an adverse effect on the health of children. 6/27/2025 13

Most of the diseases that cause mortality and morbidity in children and those associated with pregnancy are preventable. In countries with low levels of maternal and child mortality and morbidity, these disease are prevented with appropriate environmental sanitation, improved appropriate antenatal care etc. nutrition and 6/27/2025 14

The incidence of lives damaged by physical, mental and social burdens can be reduced. Through preventive measures. MCH services can reduce the incidence of mental and physical disability and provide special services for disabled children so that their lives can be normalized and they are as independent as possible. 6/27/2025 15

Women and children represent the least powerful members of society without special consideration; their needs are neither considered nor understood But women must receive the necessary consideration in hospital, health centers and at home. Certain mental, physical, and economic characteristics are found to be typical of areas where there are high child mortality rates. 16 6/27/2025