Women's lives, mothers' health

Child Trop. 1985:(159):1-56.

Abstract

PIP: This document dealing with women's lives and the health of mothers identifies factors conditioning the health and nutritional status of women and girls (life expectancy at birth, maternal mortality rate, and the birthrate); considers nutritional requirements of pregnant and lactating women, weight gain during preganncy, mothers' age and number of children and interbirth interval, maternal nutritional status and breastfeeding, anemia, work and women's health, pregnancy in adolescents, abortion, the growth of small girls and its effect on future pregnancies, and sexual mutilations; and reports on actions aimed at improving the health of women as well as health problems facing rural women. The 3 key concepts of this reflection on women's lives are: women's health should be taken into account as well as children's health; the development of the whole human being should be respected, implying ongoing surveillance of the health status of women and of their children; and the overall living conditions of women within the family and society must be analyzed at the different phases of their life, so as to encourage integrated actions rather than various uncoordinated efforts. Women's health status, like the health status of everyone, depends on a multitude of socioeconomic and sanitational factors. A figure illustrates several of the many interrelations between the various factors which influence the nutritional status of all individuals. Women of childbearing age are at greater risk than other population groups, due to their reproductive function and their ability to nurse children: pregnancy, like lactation, generates metabolic changes and increases nutritional needs. Delivery itself presents a series of risks for the woman's health, and only regular surveillance of pregnancy may prevent many of these. A woman's health status and, most of all her nutritional status during pregnancy and delivery, condition her future health and ability to assume her many tasks as well as the development of her child. As far as health and development are concerned, the mother-child couple cannot be separated. More than in any other individual, there is dynamics to women's nutritional status, since it may have negative consequences for the following generation. A few examples of desirable actions aimed at promoting women's health are discussed. These actions fall into the categories of education, surveillance of pregnant women, food supplementation, planned parenthood, technology, and legislation.

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Induced
  • Age Factors
  • Anthropometry
  • Birth Rate
  • Body Weight
  • Breast Feeding
  • Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
  • Child Welfare*
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Demography
  • Educational Status
  • General Surgery
  • Growth
  • Health
  • Health Planning
  • Health Services
  • Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
  • Legislation as Topic
  • Maternal Age
  • Maternal Mortality
  • Maternal Welfare*
  • Maternal-Fetal Exchange
  • Medicine
  • Mortality
  • Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
  • Parents
  • Parity
  • Physiology
  • Politics
  • Population
  • Population Characteristics
  • Population Dynamics
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy in Adolescence
  • Reproduction
  • Research Design