In a new study on maternal health, academics examine existing theories about women’s “vulnerability” during pregnancy pregnancy and the impact that restorative strategies have on long-term health, including for future pregnancies.
The results of research were published on eClinicalMed.
Pregnancy: this is why an innovative approach is important
The team, led by Professor Shakila Thangaratinam from the University of Birmingham, argues for reshaping the concept of ‘vulnerability’ in maternal health, advocating for a preventative and holistic approach to good health for women and girls, including proactive identification of vulnerability and promoting personalized care plans in maternity settings around the world.
Professor Shakila Thangaratinam, joint director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Women’s Global Health at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the second article in the series, said: “It is possible to reverse the damage to a mother’s health that could suffer during pregnancy. journey through restorative strategies.
Whenever there is a restorative strategy that occurs during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond, it pushes the woman towards ideal health. Examples of restorative strategies might include personalized care plans in maternity healthcare settings, but can also target physical, psychological and social environments.”
The series, entitled “Maternal health in the perinatal period and beyond”, calls for greater attention to be paid to the long-term health of women and girls, after and even before pregnancy.
According to the keynote paper published in The Lancet Global Health, a holistic approach is needed to reduce maternal deaths, focusing not only on the immediate biomedical causes, but also on the complex interplay of broader social, economic and environmental conditions that impact women’s health. women, including racial and gender inequalities, as well as economic context, nutrition, sanitation, environmental risks or exposure to violence and conflict.
The lack of attention to such fundamental issues helps explain why 121 out of 185 countries have failed to make significant progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past two decades, the study says.
Joao Paulo Souza, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Center for Health Sciences Information (BIREME) for PAHO/WHO and one of the authors of the first article, said: “Maternal health is not just something we should start to to worry when the pregnancy bump appears.”
“There are many factors that influence a woman’s likelihood of having a healthy pregnancy, from the environment around her to the political and economic systems in which she lives, or the access to nutritious food and the level of agency she has over his life, all of these factors these issues need to be addressed to improve his health, along with access to high-quality healthcare throughout his life.”
The series argues for a strong, multidisciplinary health system that not only provides respectful, high-quality maternity services, but also prevents disease and mitigates the impact of broader inequalities, including specific interventions to support women and girls more vulnerable.
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