MOTHER

AND CHILD
BOOK
SAMPLE:
What are the objectives of maternal and child
health?
 The specific objectives of MCH Care focuses on
the reduction of maternal, perinatal, infant and
childhood mortality and morbidity and the
promotion of reproductive health and the physical
and psychosocial development of the child and
adolescent within the family
 Notonly does access to quality maternal
healthcare ensure the good health of a mother –
her good health also helps to ensure the good
health of her newborn child and the rest of her
family.
What are the components of maternal and child health?

These components are:

 1) family planning and reproductive health
services,
 2) maternal, newborn, and child health services;а
 3) health communications;а
 4) health commodities and supplies;аand
 5) health systems strengthening.
What is the purpose of maternal health?
 Improving maternal health is key to saving the
lives of more than half a million women who die
as a result of complications from pregnancy and
childbirth each year
What are the factors influencing maternal health?
 Place of residence, maternal age at childbirth,
parity and women's exposure to mass media,
and maternal health messages were the major
intermediary factors
Healthy pregnancy means a healthy baby
✓ Have at least 4 prenatal check-ups (at least 1
visit during the first 3 months; at least 1 visit
during the 4th to 6th months; and at least 2
visits during the 7th to 9th months).
PRENATAL VISIT
Prenatal care: 1st trimester visits

Medical history
Your health care provider might ask about:
 Your menstrual cycle, gynecological history and any past pregnancies
 Your personal and family medical history
 Exposure to anything that could be toxic
 Medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter
medications, vitamins or supplements
 Your lifestyle, including your use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and
recreational drugs
 Travel to areas where malaria, tuberculosis, Zika virus, monkeypox or other
infectious diseases are common
Due date
 Your due date is not a prediction of when you will have your baby. It's simply the date that you will be
40 weeks pregnant. Few people give birth on their due dates. Still, establishing your due date — or
estimated date of delivery — is important. It allows your health care provider to monitor your baby's
growth and the progress of your pregnancy. Your due date also helps with scheduling tests and
procedures, so they are done at the right time.

 To estimate your due date, your health care provider will use the date your last period started, add
seven days and count back three months. The due date will be about 40 weeks from the first day of
your last period. Your health care provider can use a fetal ultrasound to help confirm the date.
Typically, if the due date calculated with your last period and the due date calculated with an early
ultrasound differ by more than seven days, the ultrasound is used to set the due date.
Physical exam
 To find out how much weight you need to gain for a healthy pregnancy, your health care provider will
measure your weight and height and calculate your body mass index.

 Your health care provider might do a physical exam, including a breast exam and a pelvic exam. You
might need a Pap test, depending on how long it's been since your last Pap test. Depending on your
situation, you may need exams of your heart, lungs and thyroid.
 Lab tests
 At your first prenatal visit, blood tests might be done to:
 Check your blood type. This includes your Rh status. Rh factor is an
inherited trait that refers to a protein found on the surface of red blood
cells. Your pregnancy might need special care if you're Rh negative and
your baby's father is Rh positive.
 Measure your hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein found
in red blood cells that allows the cells to carry oxygen from your lungs
to other parts of your body. Hemoglobin also carries carbon dioxide
from other parts of your body to your lungs so that it can be exhaled.
Low hemoglobin or a low level of red blood cells is a sign of anemia.
Anemia can make you feel very tired, and it may affect your pregnancy.
Check immunity to certain infections. This typically
includes rubella and chickenpox (varicella) — unless
proof of vaccination or natural immunity is documented
in your medical history.
Detect exposure to other infections. Your health care
provider will suggest blood tests to detect infections
such as hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. A urine sample might
also be tested for signs of a bladder or urinary tract
infection.
Tests for fetal concerns
 Prenatal tests can provide valuable information about your baby's
health. Your health care provider will typically offer a variety of
prenatal genetic screening tests. They may include ultrasound or blood
tests to check for certain fetal genetic problems, such as Down
syndrome.
Lifestyle issues
 Your health care provider might discuss the importance of nutrition and
prenatal vitamins. Ask about exercise, sex, dental care, vaccinations and
travel during pregnancy, as well as other lifestyle issues. You might also
talk about your work environment and the use of medications during
pregnancy. If you smoke, ask your health care provider for suggestions
to help you quit.
 Discomforts of pregnancy
 You might notice changes in your body early in
your pregnancy. Your breasts might be tender and
swollen. Nausea with or without vomiting
(morning sickness) is also common. Talk to your
health care provider if your morning sickness is
severe.
TETANUS TOXOID
Why is tetanus toxoid given to pregnant?
 Tetanus toxoid injections are given to women
during pregnancy to protect infants from
neonatal tetanus, an important cause of infant
death that is due primarily to unsanitary conditions
at childbirth
VITAMIN A
Should you take vitamin A when pregnant?
 Vitamin A is important for the pregnant woman
and for the fetus, being essential for the
maintenance of maternal night vision and fetal
ocular health besides the development of other
organs and the fetal skeleton and maintenance of
the fetal immune system
 Vitamin A during pregnancy is essential for your
baby's developing organs, eyes, and bones, as well
as the circulatory, respiratory, and central nervous
systems. High doses of preformed vitamin A can
cause birth defects.
 .10,000 IU CAPSULE
VIT. A POSTPARTUM
 >200,000
IU CAP WITHIN 1 MONTH AFTER
DELIVERY , PREFERABLY DURING THE 1ST
WEEK AFTER DELIVERY