PHA-Exchange> Improving Birth Outcomes - Meeting the Challeng e in the Developing World

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Improving Birth Outcomes: Meeting the Challenge in the Developing World



US Board on Global Health, Institute of Medicine (IOM) -  November 4, 2003     



Available online at: http://www.nap.edu/books/0309086140/html/ 



 "........The death of a mother, fetus, or newborn is tragic whenever it occurs. While relatively rare in the industrialized world, these deaths are considerably more common in developing countries, accounting for the vast majority of the 515,000 maternal deaths, 4 million late fetal deaths, and 4 million neonatal deaths conservatively estimated to occur each year. Most maternal, neonatal, and fetal deaths occur between late pregnancy and the end of the first month of the child's life and many are preventable. Yet this important period has received inadequate attention in the health care programs of most countries. 

Improving Birth Outcomes: Meeting the Challenges in the Developing World reviews the evidence on key interventions that could greatly improve birth outcomes in developing countries.  (In this report, a successful birth outcome is defined as the birth of a healthy baby to a healthy mother.) This report reviews the available statistics on major causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity and of fetal loss, summarizes current knowledge and practice with regard to a healthy pregnancy, and identifies cost-effective opportunities for improving birth outcomes....."



Content:
Executive Summary
 1. Introduction
 2. Addressing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
 3. Reducing Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity
 4. Reducing Fetal Mortality
 5. Improving Birth Outcomes Within Health Care Systems
 6. The Problem of Low Birth Weight
 7. Reducing Mortality and Morbidity from Birth Defects
 8. Preventing Perinatal Transmission of HIV
 9. Summing Up: The Way Forward
 Appendix A: Workshop Agenda
 Appendix B: Defining Developing Countries
 Appendix C: The Essential Competencies of a Skilled Birth Attendant
 Appendix D: Committee Biographies
 Glossary





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