From the Archives | Recognizing Child Marriage as a Maternal and Women’s Health Issue
Posted onFatimatah was forced into marriage by her family at the age of 16 and suffered severe physical, financial, educational and emotional consequences. Unfortunately, Fatimatah’s story is not hers alone: Globally, about one in nine girls marries before age 15, and about one in three marries before age 18. Early marriage puts young girls at risk of developing numerous negative maternal and reproductive health outcomes…read more
Providing Equitable, High Quality Maternity Care in the Context of a Limited Health Workforce: Lessons From Nigeria
Posted onHow do developing countries facing severe shortages in well-trained, equitably distributed health workers ensure access to high quality maternal health care for all women? There are several potential solutions that may be feasible in the short-term, which are currently being tested in Nigeria…read more
Strategies to Improve Maternal Health in Urban India: Responding to Urbanization and Migration
Posted onOver the past decade, India has implemented several programs with the aim of improving maternal health nationwide, but the latest data reveal that progress has been inconsistent. Rapid urbanization and migration into India’s cities has overwhelmed the health system, creating maternal health challenges for women in urban settings…read more
From Local Action to National Results: How Community Health Workers Are Helping to Improve Maternal Health in Rwanda
Posted onOne strategy that Rwanda has used to improve maternal health is engaging voluntary community health workers known as Animatrice de Santé Maternelle (ASMs). ASMs provide several services including health promotion and education, monitoring and reporting of maternal and newborn health indicators and accompaniment of pregnant women to health facilities…read more
What Is the Most Effective, Low-Cost Method for Inducing Labor in Women With Pre-Eclampsia?
Posted on
A group of researchers from the University of Liverpool, Gynuity Health Projects and the Government Medical College, Nagpur recently conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy, safety and acceptability of two low-cost methods for labor induction among women with pre-eclampsia…read more
Obstructed Labor Does Not End at Delivery: Strengthening Postpartum Care Following Prolonged/Obstructed Labor
Posted onIn June 2017, at the 31st International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Congress in Toronto, Canada, the United States Agency for International Development–supported Fistula Care Plus (FC+) project at EngenderHealth convened a panel discussion co-sponsored by Bard Medical on postpartum care following prolonged/obstructed labor (P/OL)…read more
“Dropping Out” Before Delivery: When Skilled Care Is not High Quality Care
Posted onWomen who receive skilled care during pregnancy often “drop out” during a critical period of the continuum of care and end up delivering at home or in the community without a certified, properly trained health professional. Based on nationally representative data from 28 African countries, researchers explored the relationship between women’s antenatal care experiences and their likelihood of delivering with a skilled birth attendant…read more
New FIGO Guidelines for Misoprostol Use
Posted on
The International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology recently released an updated chart outlining recommendations for dosages and routes of administration for misoprostol use for several indications including medically induced abortion, clinical management of miscarriage, cervical preparation for surgical abortion, fetal death, induction of labor and management of postpartum hemorrhage…read more
A Pre-Discharge Checklist for Improving Facility-Based Postnatal Care for Mothers and Newborns
Posted onGlobally, 45% of postpartum maternal deaths occur on the day of birth, and 66% take place during the first week after birth. A new postnatal care pre-discharge checklist and poster developed by USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program advance high-quality, evidence-based postnatal care practices to improve care during this critical period…read more