Mother and Infant Care Drives

Rising female labor force participation and recent changes to the welfare system have increased the importance of child care for all women and, particularly, the less-skilled. Mothers and children make up over 2/3 of the whole population. Women in reproductive age (15 – 49) constitute 21%, pregnant women, 4.5%, children under1 5, 47%, children under 5, 18%, under 3: 12% and infants: 4%. Maternal mortality is an adverse outcome of many pregnancies.

Miscarriage, induced abortion, and other factors, are causes for over 40 percent of the pregnancies in developing countries to result in complications, illnesses, or permanent disability for the mother or child. More than 7 million newborn deaths are believed to result from maternal health problems and their mismanagement. Poorly timed unwanted pregnancies carry high risks of morbidity and mortality, as well as social and economic costs, particularly to the adolescent and many unwanted pregnancies end in unsafe abortion. Poor maternal health hurts women’s productivity, their families’ welfare, and socio-economic development.

Large number of women suffers severe chronic illnesses that can be exacerbated by pregnancy and the mother’s weakened immune system and levels of these illnesses are extremely high. Infectious diseases like malaria are more prevalent in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women (most common in the first pregnancy). In addition, an increasing number of pregnant women are testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus. Many women suffer pregnancy-related disabilities like uterine prolapse long after delivery due to early marriage and childbearing and high fertility.

Nutritional problems are severe among pregnant mothers and 60 to 70 percent of pregnant women in developing countries are estimated to be anemic. Women with poor nutritional status are more likely to deliver a low-birth -weight infant. Majority of prenatal deaths are associated with maternal complications, poor management techniques during labor and delivery.

All of these are issues hitherto unknown to the women residing in rural areas and MES, with the help of its Nursing College faculty and students, has worked towards improving such awareness among the women of the villages.