Maternal Morbidity & mortality
Orphanages do what they can to provide for children. However, it is very difficult to prevent problems such as overcrowding without turning children away, which was one of the problems I witnessed over the summer. When there are over thirty children in one room, and only four to six caretakers watching over them, it almost guaranteed that children will not receive the loving attention they need to develop normally, both physically and mentally. Instead of turning children away from orphanages, another solution is to look at and address what causes this overcrowding. At Vivre Ensemble, maternal morbidity and mortality were the major reason that children were placed in the orphanage. In Senegal, it is typically the woman's role to take care of the child. If a mother is too sick to do so or has died in childbirth, the father is often incapable of taking care of the child alone, sometimes as a result of having to work. If we want children to grow up in a safe, loving environment, we have to take care of the mothers.
By promoting maternal health, there are more mothers alive to take care of their children, and consequently fewer children in the orphanage. A study by Dumont et al. examines the various causes of maternal mortality, including poorly managed deliveries, compromised obstetric care “related to health services management and staff attitudes,” and “failure to offer 24-hour services, a lack of drugs and supplies, and the low competence of birth attendants” (218). Among the patients followed in the study, of the 153 maternal deaths reported between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000, 91% of them were considered “avoidable” (Dumont et al 220). The researchers used before and after studies to examine effects of a facility-based maternal death reviews (MDR) strategy on maternal mortality. By changing the organizational structure of maternal care, the MDR strategy helped promote life-saving interventions and decreased maternal mortality to .41 per 100 women (218). The financial cost was high, but improving maternal health in Senegal is impossible. Additionally, there are only .059 physicians per 1000 people in Senegal, ranking Senegal at #167 in terms of physician density (CIA World Factbook). Improving emergency responses, educating midwives, and educating more obstetricians could promote maternal health in Senegal. Albeit the study illustrates the financial burden, it also demonstrates that change is possible.
By promoting maternal health, there are more mothers alive to take care of their children, and consequently fewer children in the orphanage. A study by Dumont et al. examines the various causes of maternal mortality, including poorly managed deliveries, compromised obstetric care “related to health services management and staff attitudes,” and “failure to offer 24-hour services, a lack of drugs and supplies, and the low competence of birth attendants” (218). Among the patients followed in the study, of the 153 maternal deaths reported between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000, 91% of them were considered “avoidable” (Dumont et al 220). The researchers used before and after studies to examine effects of a facility-based maternal death reviews (MDR) strategy on maternal mortality. By changing the organizational structure of maternal care, the MDR strategy helped promote life-saving interventions and decreased maternal mortality to .41 per 100 women (218). The financial cost was high, but improving maternal health in Senegal is impossible. Additionally, there are only .059 physicians per 1000 people in Senegal, ranking Senegal at #167 in terms of physician density (CIA World Factbook). Improving emergency responses, educating midwives, and educating more obstetricians could promote maternal health in Senegal. Albeit the study illustrates the financial burden, it also demonstrates that change is possible.
Dumont, Alexandre, Alloune Gaye, Luc De Bernis, Nils Chaillet, Anne Landry, Joanne Delage, and Marie-Helene Bouvier-Colle. "Facility-Based Maternal Death Reviews: Effects on Maternal Mortality in a District Hospital in Senegal." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 84.3 (2006): 218-24. Nursing Resource Center. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.
"The World Factbook: Senegal." CIA - The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web.19 Nov. 2012. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sg.html>.
"The World Factbook: Senegal." CIA - The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web.19 Nov. 2012. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sg.html>.