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[av_heading heading=’3 maternal deaths in Iloilo since Jan.’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY IME SORNITO
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Wednesday, March 21, 2018
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ILOILO – Since January this year, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) recorded three maternal deaths.
The cases were in northern, central and southern Iloilo, said Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado, PHO chief. She declined to be more specific with the cases’ areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.
Trabado said PHO was not yet through gathering maternal death data for 2017 but initial figures already reached eight.
Women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable. Other complications may exist before pregnancy but are worsened during pregnancy, especially if not managed as part of the woman’s care.
According to WHO, the major complications that account for nearly 75 percent of all maternal deaths are:
* severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth)
* infections (usually after childbirth)
* high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)
* complications from delivery
* unsafe abortion
Trabado said pregnant women should have themselves regularly checked by the doctor so they could be given the right advice and prescriptions.
Have at least four prenatal checkups, she said.
The PHO discourages home deliveries for pregnant women.
Go to health facilities, stressed Trabado.
After delivering the baby, the mother should not neglect herself, she added.
In 2015, the youngest maternal death in Iloilo province was a 10-year-old girl-mother, said Trabado.
According to WHO, most maternal deaths are preventable, as the healthcare solutions to prevent or manage complications are well known.
All women need access to antenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth. Maternal health and newborn health are closely linked.
It was estimated that approximately 2.7 million newborn babies died in 2015, and an additional 2.6 million are stillborn.
WHO said it is particularly important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death for both the mother and the baby./PN
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