For reference: Picture cards to stimulate discussion - Maternal Preventative factors

MATERNAL PREVENTATIVE FACTORS – DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS’ ROOTS

1.    Going to Antenatal clinic:

This can help deal with the roots of problems in the following ways:

·         Checking BP helps prevent eclampsia

·         Tetanus injection stops the baby dying of tetanus

·         Taking iron prevents anaemia – and reduces likelihood of death from bleeding

·         Getting HIV check prevents HIV developing into AIDS – and helps plan to prevent transmission of HIV to the baby.

·         Getting checked for other sexually-transmitted disease – eg Chlamydia – gets infections treated and helps prevent complications such as premature labour.

·         Detecting problems such as breech presentation helps plan safe delivery.

·         Some women are more likely to bleed to death – eg those with placenta praevia or those in their 5^th and subsequent pregnancies. At ANC, they would arrange for these to deliver in hospital.

2.    Having a good diet:

A good diet is one where there is enough food, AND enough colour and variety in the food. This can deal with the root of problems in the following ways:

·         It prevents anaemia and reduces the chance of dying from bleeding.

·         It reduces the chance of infections, such as TB and other respiratory infections, as well as infections which cause diarrhoea and other illnesses.

·         It reduces the chance of premature birth, which may cause the baby to be damaged or to die.

·         It prevents chronic malnutrition, (which can cause a woman to be too small to deliver the baby.)

3.    Taking malaria precautions:

Pregnant women and children should sleep under nets which have been regularly dipped in insecticide. The community should have cleared standing water pools from the village. Doing these things will very much reduce the risk of malaria in pregnancy, preventing problems such as:

·         Malaria can kill mothers and babies

·         If it does not kill, it can lead to anaemia and more risk of death from bleeding.

·         It can also lead to premature birth.

·         Catching malaria makes you weak and unable to do things, and costs money to get treatment.

4.    Avoiding domestic abuse or neglect:

Avoiding abuse and extreme overwork in pregnancy can reduce the risk of:

·         Early labour.

·         Exhaustion, (which can increase especially of bleeding after delivery).

5.    Safe sexual behaviour:

Keeping faithful to your partner and using condoms will help prevent all sexually transmitted diseases – especially HIV. If already HIV positive, then taking HIV medication helps prevent AIDS, and reduces the risk of passing HIV to the baby.

6.    Having a skilled birth attendant in a Health Centre or hospital:

This help deal with the roots of problems in the following ways:

·         Women with obstructed labour get a caesarean so saving their lives.

·         Women who bleed can get treatments to save them.

·         The birth is conducted in a clean environment, and so prevents the woman or baby dying of infection.

·         If the placenta does not come out, it is often easily dealt with.

·         If the birth is not a straightforward head-first delivery, a caesarean can save the life of the mother and baby.

·         If the cord is cut cleanly, the baby will not die of tetanus.

7.    Going to Postnatal clinic:

This can deal with the root of problems in the following ways:

·         Infections will get treatment – especially infection of the womb, which can kill.

·         Getting the baby checked for HIV means the baby can get treatment if needed

·         Getting family planning help means not getting pregnant too soon, and reducing the risk of sexual and other infections by use of condoms.

8.    Practising family planning:

Family planning helps prevent getting pregnant when very young, or when you already have enough children, or when your most recent child is still a baby. This can help prevent the following serious complications:

·         Having more than 4 children significantly increases the risk of mothers dying from bleeding in labour.

·         Young girls are not fully developed and may not be big enough to deliver the baby, and so may die of obstructed labour.

·         Having too many children means you cannot feed and educate them all.

·         Malnutrition is a particular risk the more children you have under 5 years old.

9.    Community support and transport:

All of the above prevenatative activities will be more likely to happen, and more likely to be effective, if not just the women, but the men and the whole community supports each idea. Otherwise the women is fighting a difficult battle and trying to do it alone.

This increased awareness would also go along with the community being ready and prepared to give support such as transport to hospital to deal with problems if they happen.