ABSTRACT
The study examined perceived causes of infant and maternal mortality among pregnant mothers in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. Maternal and infant mortality is the death of a woman and/or child, caused by disease and other conditions related to pregnancies, labour and childbirth. In carrying out this study, four research questions were raised for the study. The researcher adopted descriptive research survey design. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select sample sizes of three hundred pregnant mothers. A self-developed and validated structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Reliability co-efficient of 0.79 was obtained for the instrument using test-retest method. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages. The result revealed that the respondents perceived educational-related (85.0%), economic-related (83.7%), healthcare-related, and proximity to healthcare facility-related factors (89.6%) to infant and maternal mortality. Based on the findings, the study recommended that the economy of the nation must be improved to raise the living standards of Nigerians through the poverty alleviation programmes, which should ultimately contribute to the reduction of the deplorably high infant and maternal mortality. Maternity hospitals should be established and located throughout the country to cater for pregnant women and nursing mothers free of charge. Pregnant women should be encouraged to go for medical care and to deliver their babies in hospitals or maternities rather than in the homes of traditional birth attendants.
References
- [1] Adeusi, S.O., Adekeye, O.A. & Ebere, L.O. (2014). Predictors of maternal health as perceived by pregnant women in Eti-Osa, Lagos State, Nigeria J Educ Pract., 5(18): 125–131.
- [2] Adgoy, E.T. (2018). Key social determinants of maternal health among African countries: a documentary review. MOJ Public Health, 7(3):140-144.
- [3] Adekanle, D.A. & Isawumi, A.I. (2018). Late antennal care booking among pregnant women in South Western Nigeria. Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences, 7(1), 1-6.
- [4] Ali, M., M.A. Bhatti, & Kuroiwa, C. (2018). Challenges in access to and utilization of reproductive health care in Pakistan. Journal of Ayub Medical College, 20(4), 3-7.
- [5] Ali, A., Osman, M.M., Abbaker, A.O. & Adam, I. (2020). use of antenatal care services in Kassala, Eastern Sudan. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 10 (67), 1-4.
- [6] Bahilu, T., Abebe, G. & Tohannes, D. (2019), factors affecting antenatal care utilization in South Eastern Journal of Health Sciences, 19 (1), 45-51.
- [7] Bako, A.R. & Itodo, D.A. (2017). the levels of infants mortality in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Dutse Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences (DUJOPAS), 3(2), 20-29.
- [8] Chubike, N.E. & Constance, I. (2013). Demographic characteristics of women on the utilization of maternal health services at Abakaliki Urban. Int J Nurs Midwifery; 5(8):139–144.
- [9] Endalamaw, M. (2022). The level of awareness on danger signs of pregnancy and associated factors among ANC attendant pregnant women in Debark Town, North West Ethiopia. Global Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology, 2(1): 106-113.
- Faduyile, F.A., Soyemi, S.S., Emiogum, F.E, & Obafunwa, J.O. (2017). A 10 years autopsy-based study on maternal mortality in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos. Nigeria Journal of Clinical Practice, 20; 131–135
- Fredrick, W., & Chimaraoke, I. (2017). Maternal health in Nigeria. African Population and Health Research, 3 (12), 60–69.
- Gabrysch, S., Cousens, S., Cox, J. & Campbell, O.M. (2021). The influence of distance and level of care on delivery place in rural Zambia: a study of linked national data in a geographic information system. PLoS Med; 8(1):e1000394.
- Godefay, H., Kinsman, J., Admasu, K. & Byass, P. (2016). Can innovative ambulance transport avert pregnancy-related deaths? One-year operational assessment in Ethiopia. J Glob Health, 6(1):010410.
- Hadi, A., Mujaddidi, M.N., Rahman, T. & Ahmed, J. (2017). The inaccessibility and utilization of antenatal health-care services in Balkh Province of Afghanistan. Asia-Pacific Popul J, 22(1), 29-42.
- Menon, A. and Arora, P. (2021). Maternal health: Challenges and the way forward. Med J Armed Forces India, 77(2): 121–124.
- Myer, L & Harrison, A (2023) why do women seek antenatal care late? Perspectives from rural South Africa. Journal of Midwifery and Woman’s Health, 48 (4), 268-272.
- Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2019). Abuja Nigeria. National Population Commission and ICT Macro. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 20 (3), 62–74.
- Ogu, R.N., & Ephraim–Emmanuel, B.C. (2018). Prevention of maternal mortality in Nigeria: public health to the rescue. Journal of Gynaecology and Women’s Health, 10(1), 1 -4.
- Shah, I.H. & Say, L. (2017). Maternal mortality and maternal care from 2010–2015: uneven but important gains. Maternal mortality and morbidity: is pregnancy getting safer for women? Reprod Health Matters, 15(30): 17–27.
- Silvia, I., Rekha, G., Asuhan, B. & Charles, D. (2020). Maternal mortality and maternal care from 2010–2015: uneven but important gains. Maternal mortality and morbidity: is pregnancy getting safer for women? Reprod Health Matters, 15(30): 17–27.
- Ujah, I.A., Aisien, O.A., Mutihir, J.T., Vanderjagt, D.J., Glew, R.H. & Uguru, V.E. (2015). Factors contributing to maternal mortality in North-Central Nigeria: A Seventeen-year Review. Afr J Reprod Health, 9(3): 27-40.
Download all article in PDF
