Introduction:
A key component of public health is maternal health, which includes the survival and general well-being of infants as well as the physical, mental, and social health of women during their pregnancies, deliveries, and postpartum periods. Millions of women and babies still die each year from preventable causes associated to pregnancy and childbirth, making maternal health a crucial public health priority even in the face of tremendous success in lowering rates of maternal and infant mortality worldwide. The significance of maternal health, major obstacles and inequalities in maternal care, evidence-based interventions to enhance maternal and newborn health outcomes, and the support that healthcare systems, communities, and policymakers can provide for moms and babies are all covered in this article.
Importance of Maternal Health:
Maternal health is vital for promoting women's autonomy and well-being during their reproductive years. It makes sure they have access to high-quality healthcare services, information, and support to enable them to make educated decisions about their reproductive health and prenatal care. Maternal health refers to all elements of a woman's physical, mental, and social well-being, including her prenatal care, nutrition, and safe delivery techniques.
Preventing maternal mortality:
One of the most important measures of maternal health and the effectiveness of the healthcare system is maternal mortality, which is defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of delivery or termination of pregnancy. Comprehensive strategies that address the underlying causes of maternal deaths—such as hemorrhage, infections, hypertensive disorders, and unsafe abortions—as well as provide timely access to emergency obstetric care, skilled birth attendance, and postpartum support services are necessary to prevent maternal mortality.
Ensure the survival of the infant:
Maternal nutrition, prenatal care, delivery procedures, and postnatal care all have a major impact on the health and well-being of newborns. As a result, there is a close relationship between maternal health and newborn health and survival. Reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity rates helps to improve maternal health outcomes, such as lowering rates of maternal death and morbidity. This guarantees that babies get the best start in life and flourish during the crucial early years of development.
Encouraging women's empowerment and reproductive rights:
Women's ability to exercise their reproductive rights, make independent decisions about their bodies and fertility, and pursue education, work, and social participation is all dependent on their access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, which includes family planning, maternal healthcare, and safe abortion services.
Obstacles and Inequalities in Maternal Healthcare:
Unequal access to medical treatment for mothers: Access to maternity healthcare facilities is still uneven, especially for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups such as low-income women, women living in remote and rural areas, women from indigenous communities, teenage girls, refugees, and migrants. Geographic remoteness, transportation difficulties, budgetary limitations, a lack of healthcare infrastructure, and societal and cultural norms that restrict women's autonomy and ability to make decisions are some of the obstacles to access.
Maternal health disparities:
There are notable differences in maternal mortality, morbidity, and access to critical healthcare services, as well as in maternal health outcomes among nations, regions, and socioeconomic categories. Due to limited access to emergency obstetric care, skilled birth attendance, and other critical maternal health interventions, women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are more likely to experience maternal mortality and morbidity, which exacerbates already-existing disparities in health outcomes and exacerbates social and economic inequality.
Maternal health in humanitarian settings:
Due to disruptions in healthcare services, infrastructure damage, displacement, violence, and insecurity, women and newborns in humanitarian settings—including conflict-affected areas, refugee camps, and areas affected by natural disasters—face increased risks of maternal mortality and morbidity. Humanitarian emergencies raise maternal healthcare access barriers and preexisting vulnerabilities, putting women and newborns at risk for avoidable deaths and unfavorable health outcomes.
Sociocultural and gender norms:
These factors impact women's experiences with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care by influencing their health-seeking habits, autonomy in making decisions, and access to maternal healthcare providers. Discriminatory behaviors that impede attempts to enhance maternal health outcomes include female genital mutilation, child marriage, gender-based violence, and limits on women's autonomy and mobility.
Evidence-Based Strategies to Enhance the Health of Expectant Mothers and Newborns:
Antenatal care: By offering pregnant women vital health services, information, and support, antenatal care (ANC) significantly contributes to the promotion of mother and newborn health. Prenatal screening and diagnostic testing, vaccinations, maternal nutrition counseling, birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR), and psychosocial support are essential elements of ANC. Early and routine ANC visits allow medical professionals to keep an eye on the health of the mother and fetus, identify and treat pregnancy-related issues, and offer preventive treatments to improve the results for both the mother and the baby.
Skilled birth attendance:
To ensure a safe delivery and lower the death and morbidity rates for mothers and newborns, skilled birth attendance (SBA) by qualified healthcare professionals, such as midwives, nurses, and doctors, is crucial. Competent birth attendants are equipped with the information, abilities, and skills necessary to oversee routine deliveries, recognize and handle obstetric crises, give vital care to newborns, and make prompt referrals to more advanced medical facilities when necessary. Improving antenatal and neonatal health outcomes and lowering avoidable maternal and neonatal mortality rates need expanding access to SBA services, especially in underprivileged and rural communities.
Emergency obstetric care (EmOC):
EmOC is crucial for treating obstetric difficulties and averting maternal and neonatal fatalities brought on by issues connected to childbirth, including sepsis, eclampsia, obstructed labor, and postpartum hemorrhage. EmOC services include blood transfusion, neonatal resuscitation, parenteral antibiotic and oxytocic administration, competent attendance at birth, and emergency obstetric surgeries (such as cesarean sections). Reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and improving the health of expectant mothers and babies depend on ensuring access to prompt and high-quality EmOC services.
Postnatal care:
Providing mothers and babies with vital health services, evaluations, and support during the crucial first few weeks after giving birth, postnatal care (PNC) is crucial for supporting mother and newborn health in the immediate postpartum period and beyond. During PNC visits, medical professionals can keep an eye on the recuperation of the mother, evaluate the health and wellbeing of the newborn, assist with breastfeeding, recognize and handle postpartum problems, and address issues related to the mother's and the newborn's health. Prompt and consistent PNC visits aid in the prevention of postpartum problems, encourage the best nursing techniques, and facilitate the bonding and adjustment of both mother and child to parenthood.
In order to prevent unplanned pregnancies, plan and space out pregnancies, and access essential reproductive health services like contraception, preconception care, and maternal health counseling, women and couples must have access to family planning and reproductive health services. These services are essential components of comprehensive maternal and newborn healthcare. By preventing high-risk pregnancies, lowering maternal and neonatal difficulties, and enhancing mother and child health outcomes, family planning services help lower maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity.
Community-based interventions:
By tackling social determinants of health, empowering women and communities, and fortifying health systems at the local level, community-based interventions are essential to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. In addition to providing vital maternal and newborn health services, education, and support within communities, community health workers (CHWs), traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and community volunteers also encourage health-seeking behaviors, early detection and referral of complications, and community ownership and participation in maternal and newborn health initiatives.
The Function of Communities, Policymakers, and Healthcare Systems:
Enhancing access to high-quality healthcare services, removing structural obstacles and difficulties in the provision of maternity care, and improving mother and newborn health outcomes all depend on the strengthening of healthcare systems. The main goals of efforts to strengthen the healthcare system are to increase workforce capabilities, infrastructure, and capacity; integrate maternity and newborn health services into primary healthcare settings; support clinical guidelines and evidence-based practices; and guarantee continuity of care throughout the pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care continuum.
Promoting maternal and newborn-friendly policies:
By creating and putting into practice policies and strategies that prioritize maternal and newborn health, allocate resources, and support evidence-based practices and interventions, policymakers play a crucial role in influencing the health outcomes for mothers and newborns. Policies that support mothers and newborns prioritize improving access to basic healthcare services, fortifying health systems, tackling socioeconomic factors that affect health, and advocating for fairness, parity, and human rights in the provision of care for mothers and newborns.
Engaging communities and stakeholders:
Encouraging ownership and sustainability of efforts related to maternal and newborn health, empowerment of women and communities, and promotion of maternal and newborn health all depend on community engagement and participation. Community-based approaches customize interventions to fit local needs and goals and foster cooperation, solidarity, and trust among stakeholders. Communities, stakeholders, and partners are involved in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of maternal and newborn health initiatives.
Advocating for maternal and newborn health rights:
Promoting the rights of mothers and newborns, increasing public awareness of these issues, and enlisting the support of political leaders to remove structural obstacles and difficulties in the provision of maternal healthcare are all made possible by advocacy activities. In order to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes, maternal and newborn health advocacy initiatives prioritize the advancement of social justice, gender equality, and human rights; amplify the voices of marginalized communities and women; and push for changes to laws, funding, and accountability systems.
Conclusion:
In addition to being a vital component of women's health and wellbeing, neonatal survival, and child development, maternal health is a fundamental human right. In order to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes and meet global targets for maternal and newborn health, it is imperative that communities and stakeholders be involved, that evidence-based practices and interventions be promoted, that systemic barriers and disparities be addressed, and that quality maternal healthcare services be made accessible. Countries can accelerate their progress toward universal health coverage, lower rates of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, and guarantee that every mother and child receives the care and support they require to thrive by funding maternal and newborn health initiatives, bolstering healthcare systems, and advocating for maternal and newborn health rights.
