The Path to A healthy Mother and Child

Are you worried about childbirth and how it will affect you? Bringing a baby into the world can be fun and exciting, but it can also come with some complications if not properly managed.
Did you know that there are numerous ways you can improve maternal health issues? Of course 80% of maternal deaths are preventable. But it is quite unfortunate that maternal mortality rates are still very high in the world, each year, more than half a million women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In Nigeria alone, about 2,300 under-five year old children and 145 women die every single day during childbirth complications.
Below this statistics lies the pain and agony of thousands of families who have lost their children and loved ones due to maternal death issues. It is even more devastating to know that most of these childbirth complications are preventable.

What exactly are the causative agents of maternal health issues?

• Pre-existing conditions; Most of these complications are caused by pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, malaria, HIV, obesity, etc. 
• Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure; women with pre-existing, or chronic, high blood pressure are more likely to have certain complications during pregnancy and this can lead to maternal death.
• Unsafe Abortion, infections and other labour complications are the most leading causes of maternal mortality. 
• Malnutrition and lack of regular exercises is also one of the causes of maternal health issues.

Is there a chance to reduce maternal mortality and improve maternal health? Yes! There are numerous ways to avert most of these maternal issues. According to experts, maternal health conditions can be improved in different ways, such as;

• Professional care during pregnancy and childbirth; 80% of maternal death can be avoided with proper access to basic health care services. Such as regular medical check-up, antenatal and post antenatal care, etc.
• Regular exercise during pregnancy helps to alleviate many of the common problems of childbirth.
• Eating well balanced meals; eating healthy foods now is more important than ever! You need more protein, iron, calcium and folic acid and more calories than you did before pregnancy. Consider a cleaner diet for a healthier baby!

The health of a mother is very important for the unborn child and to prevent maternal complications. Healthy women and healthy babies build healthy communities. Therefore, maternal health is a key to a healthier society.

http://leadership.ng/blogposts/health-matters/369983/1-4-maternal-deaths-caused-pre-existing-medical-conditions-unicef

http://www.healthnewsng.com/2013/12/nigeria-records-reduction-in-infant-and.html

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs348/en/

http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/children_1926.html