Answer the following and post your answers here. Cite references of your answers as much as possible.
1. Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting the maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
- Poor contraceptive use - Women face barriers in accessing contraception. Religious and financial constraints limit the use of contraceptives. Furthermore, knowledge gaps and misconceptions on where to obtain contraceptive methods and how to use them reduce access to contraceptives, such as pills and condoms, which could lead to unwanted pregnancies that may cause women to seek unsafe abortions, thus increasing the maternal mortality rate of the Philippines (WHO, 2020).
- Increasing cases of teenage pregnancy - Young women from rural areas who undergo teenage pregnancies are at risk for complications in gestation, labor, or delivery since they do not have sufficient access to proper preconception and postpartum care. The bodies of adolescent women are not yet fully developed for childbirth, which is harmful to both the mother and fetus. Teenage pregnancies increase complications during and after pregnancy, contributing to the high maternal mortality rate of the country (Rau, 2015).
- Lack of educational opportunities and counseling - Insufficient knowledge regarding sex and pregnancy, and poor provision of counseling about family planning increase the incidence of not properly spacing the births of children, thus having unplanned pregnancies leading to mothers seeking to pursue abortion, further increasing the maternal mortality rate of the Philippines (The Policy Circle, n.d.).
2. What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
- According to the Department of Health (2013), from 1960-2010, the top 3 leading causes of maternal mortality ratio are (1) complications related to pregnancy, (2) pregnancy-related hypertension, and (3) postpartum hemorrhage.
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The top 3 main causes for maternal morbidity in the Philippines, on the other hand, are (1) hemorrhage, (2) infection, and (3) unsafe abortion, as discussed in the lecture.
REFERENCE:
Department of Health [DOH]. (2013, December 9). Maternal Deaths by Main Cause. https://doh.gov.ph/Statistics/Maternal-Deaths-By-Main-Cause.
Rau, A. (2015, June 18). Maternal Mortality in the Philippines. https://borgenproject.org/maternal-mortality-philippines/.
The Policy Circle (n.d.). Maternal and Neonatal Program Effort Index (MNPI): Philippines. Policy Project. http://www.policyproject.com/policycircle/content.cfm?a0=2f.
World Health Organization (2020, January 31). Adolescent Pregnancy. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy.