Utilization Of Antenatal And Maternity Services By Mothers Seeking Child Welfare Services In Nigeria

Utilization Of Antenatal And Maternity Services By Mothers Seeking Child Welfare Services In Nigeria

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of The Study

motherly and child health has surfaced as the most important issue that determined global and public good. This is because every existent, family and community is at some point privately involved in gestation and the success of parturition( WHO, 2006). Despite the honour bestowed on womanishness and the appreciation of the birth of a new born baby, gestation and parturition is still considered a dangerous trip. The situation of motherly and child health in Nigeria is among the worst in Africa and has not bettered mainly and in some areas of the country, has worsened over the once decade( Ladipo, 2009). The motherly mortality rate ranges between 800- 15000 per 100,000 live births( Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2003), with pronounced variation between geo- political zones – 165 in South West compared with 1,549 in the North- East and between civic and pastoral areas( Ladipo, 2009). Total fertility rate is5.7 births per woman and it’s estimated that roughly 59,000 of motherly deaths take place annually in Nigeria as a result of gestation, delivery andpost-delivery complications( WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, 2007).

exploration( Ladipo, 2009) indicated close link between the health of the new born with the health of their maters . About 30- 40 of neonatal and infant deaths affect from poor motherly health and shy care during gestation, delivery and the critical immediate postpartum period( Ladipo, 2009). In Nigeria 340,000 babies die every time during delivery and shortly latterly especially if the mama dies in parturition( WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, 2007). The under- five mortality rate is 200 per 1000 live births( WHO, 2006). These deaths aren’t unconnected with the poor motherly health services in the country and could be avoided through provision of quality and effective motherly and child health services.

Nigeria is one of the African countries with a fleetly growing population. As a nation with a growing frugality, one of the major health challenges facing the country moment is the capacity to sustain the adding child and motherly health. The most common recorded cause of perinatal deaths are analogous to those of other less advanced countries, and the common denominators are early travail poor motherly health and over all, the lack of applicable and quality services( Okereke, Kanu, Nwachukwu, Anyanwu, Ehiri & Merick, 2005). Although life- saving practices for utmost babies have been known for decades, presently one third of the maters still have no access to health care services during gestation and nearly half don’t have access to health care services during parturition( Okereke, etal., 2005). In the light of rapid-fire population growth and increased pitfalls of adverse environmental health exposures, motherly and child health prospects could be a serious public public health problem due to factors similar as ignorance, apathy, poverty, lack of commitment, ignorance and corruption( Opara & Ellah, 2007).