Korea has recorded a very low total fertility rate of 1.15 in 2009. Young Koreans tend to postpone their marriage, and as a result of late marriage, the average age of first pregnancy has been continuously increasing. Older married couples often produced multifetal pregnancies due to assisted reproduction. Elderly pregnancies and multifetal pregnancies contribute to high maternal/perinatal mortalities and morbidities. Basic maternal and child health services including prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care are covered under national health insurance in Korea. However, preconception care is not covered under national health insurance nor any other preventive service program. Many developed countries including United States and academic societies have emphasized the importance of preconception care and have proposed guidelines on preconception care. No suggested guidelines for preconception care have been developed in Korea. Evidence-based guidelines on preconception care should be developed with the cooperation of associated academic societies. In addition, the Korean government should develop a comprehensive plan for preventive services for women including preconception care.
Aged ; Birth Rate ; Child ; Child Health Services ; Child Health ; Developed Countries ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Marriage ; Maternal-Child Health Services ; National Health Programs ; Population Characteristics ; Postnatal Care ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Preventive Health Services ; Reproduction ; United States

OBJECTIVETo analyze the status of maternal health behaviors and it's risk factors for Yi-nationality women in poor rural areas of Sichuan province.

METHODSIn 2012, multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 14 villages of two poor counties in Liangshan Yi-nationality autonomous prefecture Sichuan province. At least 10 women who have infants aged 0-12 months were selected in each simple villages, a total of 284. The structured questionnaire was developed on the basis of the theory of reasoned action. Yi-nationality female college students were trained as investigators. Research indicators included prenatal care rate, hospital delivery rate, postpartum examination rate, socio-demographic characteristics, maternal health care knowledge. χ² test was used to compare the differences of above indicators among different groups. The structural equation model were used to statistical analyze.

RESULTSIn the 284 subject women, 51.7% (147/284) women owned more than 2 children, 41.6% (118/284) women were more than 30 years old, 87.3% (248/284) women were illiteracy. The prenatal care rate was 69.7% (197/284), the hospital delivery rate was 26.8% (76/284), and the postnatal check rate was 22.9% (65/284). The influence factors of maternal health behaviors included the number of children, age and education (χ² were 10.92, 13.24, 9.58; P values were 0.027, 0.004, 0.008, respectively).The structural equation model analysis results showed that the maternal health behaviors were directly or indirectly affected by subjective norms (β = 0.236, P < 0.001), women's cognition (β = 0.226, P = 0.020) and women's attitudes on maternal health behavior (β = 0.157, P = 0.001). Among subjective norms, women have high compliance to their husbands (β = 0.850, P < 0.001), their peers (β = 0.708, P < 0.001), and their mothers-in-law (β = 0.636, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThere were still serious problems in maternal health behaviors for Yi-nationality women in poor rural areas. The main factors included not only the women's cognition and attitudes for maternal health, but also the attitudes of important social relationships.

Child ; China ; Ethnic Groups ; Family ; Female ; Health Behavior ; ethnology ; Humans ; Infant ; Maternal Health ; ethnology ; Maternal Health Services ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Care ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population

Cohort study is an irreplaceable method for studies related to maternal and child health. Compared with other countries, China's maternal and child cohort studies started relatively later but has its unique developing track. This paper summarizes the basic information and characteristics of the maternal and child cohorts with wide and great influence in China in the past 25 years.
Child ; Child Health ; Child Health Services/organization & administration* ; China ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Maternal Health ; Maternal Health Services/organization & administration*

Several studies have reported adequate patient transfer to higher level hospitals according to the risk for improving perinatal outcomes. According to these reports, countries across the world divide the levels of maternal care on the basis of the assessment of hospital facilities and medical services as well as the assessment of high-risk pregnancies while evaluating the cases of and risks associated with maternal care that can be addressed by these hospitals at each level. Because the level of and policies on maternal care vary across countries, we aimed to evaluate risk assessments and introduction of treatment facility classifications in different countries. In Korea, birth rate is declining and the number of elderly pregnant women is increasing, whereas the number of hospitals that can deliver a baby and care for mothers at high risk is decreasing. We, therefore, need to establish an infrastructure for medically vulnerable areas, a localization center, and a medical personnel supplement. Moreover, establishing detailed guidelines and criteria for different levels of maternal care is necessary. The new guidelines will also need to supplement the policies on the requirement of well-trained obstetricians and of low medical insurance fee.
Aged ; Birth Rate ; Classification ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; Maternal-Child Health Services ; Mothers ; Patient Transfer ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Care ; Risk Assessment

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the magnitude of difference in access to selected maternal care services among Filipino women who belong to different income groups.
METHODS: Point and interval estimates of the inter-quintile difference in access to a selected maternal care services (family planning; antenatal care; facility-based delivery; skilled birth attendance; and postnatal care) were constructed using weighed coverage data from the Philippines National Demographic and Household Survey 2013.
RESULTS: There is a generally increasing trend in inter-quintile differences in coverage from the lowest to the highest income quintile group (Q1-Q4 > Q1-Q3 > Q1-Q5 > Q1-Q2 > Q2-Q5 > Q2-Q4 > Q3-Q5 > Q3-Q4 > Q2-Q4 > Q4-Q5). Differences in maternal care access between wealth groups ranged from less than 1% for antenatal care (DQ2-Q3 - 0.4% [95% Cl - 1.9% to 1.1%]) to as much as 60% for facility-based delivery (DQ1-Q5 -58.4% [95% Cl - 61.2% to -55.6%]).  Such differences persist even between the two highest quintiles (facility based delivery DQ4-Q5 - 9.7% [95% Cl - 12.5% to -6.9%]).
CONCLUSION: Gradients in access to selected maternal care services exist among Filipino women who belong to different wealth quintiles. The call for stakeholders, therefore, is to intensify efforts to narrow such gaps because, within and across communities, we affirm that no women "should die in the course of the normal process of reproduction" and no families must suffer the devastating consequences of such an occurrence. 

Human ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Demography ; Family Planning Services ; Income ; Parturition ; Philippines ; Postnatal Care ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Care ; Residence Characteristics ; Surveys And Questionnaires ; Healthcare Disparities ; Maternal Health Services ; Maternal Death

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify effects of a maternal-child health education program for nurses in Tigray, Ethiopia. METHODS: One-group pre-posttest design was used. The maternal-child health (MCH) education program was given to nurses from 5 health centers in Tigray, Ethiopia. Knowledge and confidence levels were measured before and after each education session. Data were analyzed using paired t-test. RESULTS: The topics of the 5 educational sessions were family planning, antenatal care, care during labor, immunization, and integrated management of neonate, and child illness. Knowledge scores (1st: Z=3.931, p=.001; 2nd: Z=6.189, p<.001; 3rd: Z=5.658, .001, 4th: Z=8.734, .001, 5th: Z=14.167, .001) and confidence levels (1st: Z=8.467, .001; 2nd: Z=4.183, .001; 3rd: Z=4.992, .001) improved significantly. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study imply that the MCH education program for nurses was effective in developing the maternal-child health capacity of the nurses in Tigray, Ethiopia.
Child ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Ethiopia* ; Family Planning Services ; Health Education* ; Humans ; Immunization ; Infant, Newborn ; Maternal Health Services

Natural increase rate in population is reached to 1.7% in 1975 from 2.55 in 1996 because of the effect of Governmental Family Planning Program. The average number of present children and ideal children is just the same, 2.4 people, in this investigation. So, I assume that the number of present and ideal children is approaching each other. The rate of unmarried female workers who don't know even one thing about the knowledge of contraception was 23.9%, and especially that of rural women was 31.5% and 41.3% of them has never experienced contraception. "Boy-preference" presented 60.1% of unmarried female workers and 79.1% of married women. "Connection of a family line" related to "Transfer to next generation of a family line" presented 38.0% and "Trustworthiness" related to "Leadership of a family" presented 26.0%( total 64.0%). As this point, we can find that this rate reveals the traditional sense of patriarchal system in society and family. The rate of women of experienced artificial abortion has been 52.1% and that of women using it as birth control caused by "Many children" and "Short birth-interval" 46.6% of women of experienced pregnancy. So, we can that artificial abortion is a main cause of Maternal Health destruction.
Child ; Contraception ; Family Planning Services* ; Female ; Humans ; Maternal Health ; Population Growth ; Pregnancy ; Single Person

Korea is one of the countries where the fertility rates are very low. Non-marriage and delayed marriage result in the high risk pregnancy. The high risk pregnancy increases the birth rate of the high risk newborn, causing the recent increase in the number of preterm infants. The high risk newborn should be treated in the neonatal intensive care unit. After discharge, the specific follow-up program should be continued until 2~3 years of age. The burden of the costs of high risk newborn plays a substantial role in the low fertility rate in Korea. The government should analyse the current maternal child health service system in the country. After a critical review, more specified support should be given to the family whose high risk newborn should be cared properly.
Birth Rate ; Child ; Child Health Services ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea* ; Marriage ; Maternal-Child Health Services* ; Pregnancy, High-Risk

OBJECTIVES: Since many Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were not achieved, countries including Iran—despite achieving some of the MDGs—need regular planning to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. This article examines maternal and child health indicators in the early years of the SDGs in Iran relative to several other countries.METHODS: This study was carried out through a secondary analysis of maternal and child health indicators in Iran. The results were compared with data from other countries divided into three groups: countries with upper-middle income levels, countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the countries covered by the Outlook Document 1,404 (a regional classification). Then, the relationship between these indicators and the Human Development Index was investigated.RESULTS: Iran has attained better results than other countries with respect to maternal mortality, family planning, skilled birth attendance, under-5 deaths, incidence of hepatitis B, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccination coverage, and antenatal care. In contrast, Iran performed worse than other countries with respect to under-5 wasting, under-5 stunting, and care-seeking behavior for children.CONCLUSIONS: Overall, among the 11 indicators surveyed, Iran has attained better-than-average results and seems to be improving. We recommend that Iran continue interventions in the field of maternal and child health.
Child Health ; Child ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Family Planning Services ; Growth Disorders ; Hepatitis B ; Human Development ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iran ; Maternal Health ; Maternal Mortality ; Mediterranean Region ; Parturition ; Vaccination

No abstract available.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; *Child Welfare ; *Family Planning Services ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; *Maternal Welfare ; *Public Health