Caring for the would-be-mothers
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Rupa Sarker
At 18 Nilufar is awaiting her first baby. The woman from Kamrangirchar has come to a maternity hospital for healthcare. She does not know what she should do during pregnancy. She is also unaware of the special care a pregnant woman needs. Even Nilufar does not have any idea about the risks of conceiving at an early age.
"Now I'm not getting any advice from any body -- neither from my mother nor mother-in-law," says the teenager, who does not know that during pregnancy one has to eat nutritious food, take more rest and keep herself clean.
Yasmin, 30, is also expecting her first baby. Pregnant for six months, she has been admitted to a hospital in Dhanmondi because of severe pain in her lower abdomen. Doctors cannot exactly say what causes the pain. Unlike Nilufar, she has some knowledge about reproductive healthcare.
Yasmin says, "During pregnancy, one has to keep herself clean, take nutritious food regularly, get checked by doctors, move carefully and have two tetanus injections at four and five months respectively."
But most women in Bangladesh are like Nilufar, who usually avoid discussing it either out of shyness or they consider it confidential. In our society, talking about reproductive health by females, especially unmarried ones, is regarded as a taboo.
Defining reproductive health, Dr Jebun Nesa, consultant of a UNFP-funded project on strengthening emergency maternity care, says, "Reproductive health does not only mean the absence or inability of any reproductive organs. Rather, it means the healthy functioning of reproductive organs both from physical and mental points of view. The components of reproductive health include safe pregnancy, family planning, infection of reproductive organs, sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition of mothers, prevention and cure of risky abortion, reproductive health of adolescents, treatment and prevention of infertility and care for newborns."
Dr Jebun Nesa goes on: "Those, who are expecting babies for the first time, should abide by doctor's advices. At this time, one needs extra food and rest." About the risks faced by the expectants, she mentions several of them, including blood pressure, strong headache, hazy vision, swollen hands and legs, convulsion, excessive vomiting, bleeding through birth canal, sight of any other limbs apart from the baby's head at the canal and labour for more than 12 hours. Under the circumstances, emergency medical assistance is necessary."
According to her, among the pregnant women suffering from malnutrition, about 50 per cent of them are adolescents. "As they get married at early age they cannot take care of their health properly. So they suffer from malnutrition."
A survey conducted by Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB) in 2005 shows that the number of women having infection in reproductive organs is high because they are shy to talk about it and do not undergo treatment. An UNICEF report of 2004 says that in Bangladesh less than 25 per cent women receive care from skilled midwives during their pregnancy. Three women die every hour due to delivery-related complications and 600,000 women suffer from pregnancy-related complications.
A National Population Research and Training Institute survey in 2004 shows that 91 per cent women give birth to their babies at home, putting their own lives at risk.
According to World Health Organisation, every year 600,000 women die worldwide during delivery of which 99 per cent is reported from the third world countries.
A survey conducted in 2001 on mother healthcare and mortality of Bangladesh shows that 20 per cent deaths of females, aged between 15 and 49, take place due to causes relating to motherhood. Among the deaths during delivery, 29 per cent die due to bleeding, and 24 per cent for convulsion. But, it is possible to avoid these undesired deaths with moderate healthcare.
For safe delivery, pregnant women should receive healthcare at least three times during their pregnancy. But, only 20 per cent of them do this. Half the pregnant women receive healthcare only once during their pregnancy. A large number of pregnant women cannot receive adequate healthcare for lack of knowledge, extra cost and transportation problem.
Dr M Saiful Islam, a pediatric, says, "In our country, the adolescents have little knowledge about reproductive health, so after becoming mothers they still remain virtually ignorant about this issue. During the adolescent period, the parents hardly discuss anything openly with their children leaving them ignorant about reproductive health. As a result, they face various complications."
To overcome this problem, Dr Islam says, awareness about reproductive health among adolescents will have to be created alongside bringing down the trend of early marriage. He also finds it essential to include reproductive health in textbooks.
He says, "Nearly 70 per cent pregnant women in our country suffer from anemia and malnutrition. A significant number of mothers, aged between 15 and 19, die during childbirth. Lack of knowledge about reproductive health is the main reason behind this.
Regarding reproductive health, Hasina Chaklader, director of Bangladesh Women Health Coalition, says that everyone should know where to go for safe termination of pregnancy and necessary healthcare. A girl is not physically complete to conceive until she reaches 21. So conceiving at an early age is dangerous.
Emphasising the need for putting an end to early marriage, she says, "The most suitable age for a woman to get pregnant for the first time is 21-22 and it is risky for any woman to conceive after 35."
—News Network
At 18 Nilufar is awaiting her first baby. The woman from Kamrangirchar has come to a maternity hospital for healthcare. She does not know what she should do during pregnancy. She is also unaware of the special care a pregnant woman needs. Even Nilufar does not have any idea about the risks of conceiving at an early age.
"Now I'm not getting any advice from any body -- neither from my mother nor mother-in-law," says the teenager, who does not know that during pregnancy one has to eat nutritious food, take more rest and keep herself clean.
Yasmin, 30, is also expecting her first baby. Pregnant for six months, she has been admitted to a hospital in Dhanmondi because of severe pain in her lower abdomen. Doctors cannot exactly say what causes the pain. Unlike Nilufar, she has some knowledge about reproductive healthcare.
Yasmin says, "During pregnancy, one has to keep herself clean, take nutritious food regularly, get checked by doctors, move carefully and have two tetanus injections at four and five months respectively."
But most women in Bangladesh are like Nilufar, who usually avoid discussing it either out of shyness or they consider it confidential. In our society, talking about reproductive health by females, especially unmarried ones, is regarded as a taboo.
Defining reproductive health, Dr Jebun Nesa, consultant of a UNFP-funded project on strengthening emergency maternity care, says, "Reproductive health does not only mean the absence or inability of any reproductive organs. Rather, it means the healthy functioning of reproductive organs both from physical and mental points of view. The components of reproductive health include safe pregnancy, family planning, infection of reproductive organs, sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition of mothers, prevention and cure of risky abortion, reproductive health of adolescents, treatment and prevention of infertility and care for newborns."
Dr Jebun Nesa goes on: "Those, who are expecting babies for the first time, should abide by doctor's advices. At this time, one needs extra food and rest." About the risks faced by the expectants, she mentions several of them, including blood pressure, strong headache, hazy vision, swollen hands and legs, convulsion, excessive vomiting, bleeding through birth canal, sight of any other limbs apart from the baby's head at the canal and labour for more than 12 hours. Under the circumstances, emergency medical assistance is necessary."
According to her, among the pregnant women suffering from malnutrition, about 50 per cent of them are adolescents. "As they get married at early age they cannot take care of their health properly. So they suffer from malnutrition."
A survey conducted by Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB) in 2005 shows that the number of women having infection in reproductive organs is high because they are shy to talk about it and do not undergo treatment. An UNICEF report of 2004 says that in Bangladesh less than 25 per cent women receive care from skilled midwives during their pregnancy. Three women die every hour due to delivery-related complications and 600,000 women suffer from pregnancy-related complications.
A National Population Research and Training Institute survey in 2004 shows that 91 per cent women give birth to their babies at home, putting their own lives at risk.
According to World Health Organisation, every year 600,000 women die worldwide during delivery of which 99 per cent is reported from the third world countries.
A survey conducted in 2001 on mother healthcare and mortality of Bangladesh shows that 20 per cent deaths of females, aged between 15 and 49, take place due to causes relating to motherhood. Among the deaths during delivery, 29 per cent die due to bleeding, and 24 per cent for convulsion. But, it is possible to avoid these undesired deaths with moderate healthcare.
For safe delivery, pregnant women should receive healthcare at least three times during their pregnancy. But, only 20 per cent of them do this. Half the pregnant women receive healthcare only once during their pregnancy. A large number of pregnant women cannot receive adequate healthcare for lack of knowledge, extra cost and transportation problem.
Dr M Saiful Islam, a pediatric, says, "In our country, the adolescents have little knowledge about reproductive health, so after becoming mothers they still remain virtually ignorant about this issue. During the adolescent period, the parents hardly discuss anything openly with their children leaving them ignorant about reproductive health. As a result, they face various complications."
To overcome this problem, Dr Islam says, awareness about reproductive health among adolescents will have to be created alongside bringing down the trend of early marriage. He also finds it essential to include reproductive health in textbooks.
He says, "Nearly 70 per cent pregnant women in our country suffer from anemia and malnutrition. A significant number of mothers, aged between 15 and 19, die during childbirth. Lack of knowledge about reproductive health is the main reason behind this.
Regarding reproductive health, Hasina Chaklader, director of Bangladesh Women Health Coalition, says that everyone should know where to go for safe termination of pregnancy and necessary healthcare. A girl is not physically complete to conceive until she reaches 21. So conceiving at an early age is dangerous.
Emphasising the need for putting an end to early marriage, she says, "The most suitable age for a woman to get pregnant for the first time is 21-22 and it is risky for any woman to conceive after 35."
—News Network