
Dr.Mohammed Jasim
COMMUNITY MEDICIN
M.B.Ch.B
FICMS/CM
Sunday, January 03, 2016

Maternal and
Child Health

Maternal health
WHO 2001: Health is a complete physical, mental and
social well-being state and not only absence of disease
or ailment.
Maternal health refers to: The health of women during
pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
While
motherhood
is often a positive
and fulfilling experience, for too
many women it is associated with
suffering, ill-health and even death.

The Life-cycle
7days
28 days
1 year
Birth
5 years
10 years
19 years
Early
neonatal
period
Perinatal period
Neonatal period
Pregnancy
Adulthood
Infancy
Adolescence
Childhood
Reproductive
period
Ageing
Death
Pre-school
years
"School-age"

Why invest in maternal and child health?
“ MCH service “
1. Women and children form a large proportion of the population;
especially in developing countries
2. The mortality and morbidity among women and children is very
high compared to same age males.
3. There are proven and affordable ways of saving the lives of
women and children
4. Investing in maternal and child health improves social stability
and human security
5. It’s the 5
th
MDG
6. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health access and
outcome indicators are sensitive indicators

Plus:
1 . > 200m woman become pregnant each year, 15% of
them need MCH.
2. Part of pregnancy complication are fatal.
3. 8m of infants will die in 1
st
year of life ,4m of them will
die during 1st month, 2.8m of them will die during 1st
week and equal number of them will die in utero.
4. Bad maternal conditions account for the fourth leading
cause of death for women after HIV/AIDS, malaria, and
tuberculosis

200,000,000 mother *
15%
=
30,000,000
need service each year
50% of newborn will die in 1
st
month
70% will die in the 1
st
week
Another 50%-70% will die in utero
Before mothers have chance
to give birth .

Facts :
In each 3
rd
world population:
•
20-25 % of population children < 5 years.
•
45-55% of population children <14 years.
•
20-30% of population woman (mothers) .

3
rd
world population example
Percent distribution of population & death (1987)

Sweden
Percent distribution of population & death (1985)

A pregnant woman has one
foot in the grave.
- Traditional African Saying

worldwide, as defined by the
number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births

Millennium Development Goals

Steps of maternal health
1.Health promotion and education
2.Prevention and identification of disease and health
hazards to both child and mother
3.Care to mother during pregnancy and child birth .
4.Supervision of infant health and growth
5.Family planning
6.Special care to special needs.
7.Psychological evaluation and intervention

OBJECTIVES OF MCH SERVICES:
1.Reduction in maternal, perinatal,
infant and childhood Mortality & Morbidity.
2.Promotion of reproductive health.
3.Promotion of physical and psychological
development of child and adolescent within
the family.