Maternal Morbidity and Morbidity
1. Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting the maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
COVID-19 Pandemic. Although the overall risk of COVID-19 is low among pregnant women, there is an increased risk of experiencing severe symptoms from the disease. Pregnant women who contract the COVID-19 virus are usually hospitalized, admitted into an intensive care unit (ICU) and placed on a ventilator to help with breathing. They are also at risk of delivering a premature baby and experiencing stillbirth and miscarriage (CDC, 2022). Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic affects the perinatal health received by pregnant women due to various changes in policies, health care, and circumstances. Many pregnant women are not able to do check-up visits to hospitals and health centers because of the lockdown and fear of COVID-19. Reports also mentioned a high frequency of maternal health problems like anxiety and depression due to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic.
Poverty. Women living in poor households often have a higher risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. They are more likely to engage in harmful pregnancy practices such as smoking and alcohol drinking due to a lack of quality education and have poorer dietary habits due to limited resources. Lower socioeconomic status in the country is also associated with decreased prenatal care attendance. Some common problems of poor Filipino women include low birth babies, anemia, malnutrition, and fetal loss.
Access to Healthcare. Lack of access to adequate care during pregnancy is the primary cause of maternal death. Many are still resorting to a traditional birth attendant or 'hilot' as their only source of maternal health support. Although experienced, these traditional birth attendants rarely have access to any maternal care training, leaving them without skills or tools to recognize maternal complications and treat difficulties during labor and delivery. This situation frequently happens in remote rural areas where health centers can be difficult to reach, understaffed, and underequipped.
2. What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
According to the Department of Health (2010), the top 3 causes of maternal morbidity are:
- complications related to pregnancy during labor, delivery, and the puerperium
- hypertension complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium
- postpartum hemorrhage
Meanwhile, the top 3 causes of maternal morbidity are:
- hemorrhage
- infection
- unsafe abortion
References:
Department of Health. (2013). Maternal death by main cause. https://doh.gov.ph/Statistics/Maternal-Deaths-By-Main-Cause
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Pregnant and recently pregnant people. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnant-people.html