Introduction
This topic covers the medico-social issues of maternal and child health: factors that affect maternal health, abortions, infertility, single mothers, unwanted and adopted children, children with chronic diseases, family effects and prevention, and sexual education.
Factors that affect maternal health
- Bad maternal health causes death in women (HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis).
- Maternal death: death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from a cause related to pregnancy (not accidental or incidental).
Risk of maternal death depends on
- Frequency and spacing of births
- Nutrition level (maternal undernutrition)
- Maternal age
- Appropriate medical and midwife support
- Access to emergency and intensive treatment if needed
- Malaria leads to anaemia, which increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality and of developmental problems for the baby.
- HIV infection allows mother-to-child transmission (highly affected countries, e.g. South Africa).
Social problems of motherhood
Abortions
- Commonly done (in countries that permit it) at 12-13 weeks.
- The procedure dilates and widens the cervix, which can lead to infertility. It can damage the cervix, which can affect the way a fetus implants, leading to miscarriage.
- Repeated abortions scar the uterus; the uterus tightens and closes up.
Infertility
- A common problem that leads to feelings of isolation and loss of self-esteem. It affects the person as an individual and as a family member.
- The person feels “loss”: of the opportunity to pass on genetics; of the chance to contribute to the next generation; of the chance to parent or become a grandparent; of family stability; of a sense of control; of a sense of hope; of self-worth and esteem; of productivity.
Single mothers
- May have undergone a divorce, with lower income and less time to spend with the children.
- Children of single mothers are more likely to become delinquent. As the child progresses into adolescence with only one parent there is less supervision.
- The child is likely to engage in alcohol, drugs, violence and property crime.
- Single mothers are typically in a lower income bracket (compared with two wage earners), giving a less healthy environment for children.
Unwanted and adopted children
- Feel isolated and ignored; do not have the emotional support parents give.
- May not have access to the same support and opportunities they would have had with their original parents, including education, immunisations, eye care and dental care.
- The 7 core issues of adoption theory (mnemonic: “Life really gets good in intimate moments”):