Maternal and infant health discussion

Maternal health encompasses the health of women in the childbearing years, including those in the pre-pregnancy period, those who are pregnancy, and those who are caring for young children. The effect of pregnancy and childbirth on women is an important indicator of their health. Pregnancy and delivery can lead to serious health problems. According to World Health Organization report; each year an estimated 1200 women in the USA suffer complications during pregnancy or childbirth that prove fatal and 60 000 suffer complications that are near-fatal. An infant health depends on many factors, which include the mother’s health and her behavior prior to and during pregnancy, genetic characteristics, her level of prenatal care, the quality of her delivery, and the infant’s environment after birth. The infant’s environment includes not only the home and family environment, but also the availability of essential medical services such as a postnatal physical examination, regular visits to a physician, and the appropriate immunizations.