Maternal Health News and Research

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Invest in proven ways to curb maternal mortality, morbidity

Christy Turlington Burns, maternal health advocate and founder of Every Mother Counts, notes in this GlobalPost "Global Pulse" opinion piece that "99 percent of women who die during or after childbirth live in the developing world," and women and girls ages 19 and younger are at a higher risk of maternal mortality and morbidity.

23 May 2012

MDG Health Alliance introduced at GBCHealth Conference

The MDG Health Alliance, an innovative new private sector organization created and led by eminent business leaders to tackle urgent global health problems, was introduced today in the United States at the GBCHealth Conference.

17 May 2012

Female Presidents of Liberia, Malawi pledge to address gender equality, improve women's health

"The only two female heads of state in Africa, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Malawian President Joyce Banda, have just committed to using their positions to improve the lives of women across the continent," Inter Press Service reports.

11 May 2012

Education the most important factor in reducing maternal deaths

A scientific analysis of 50 years of maternal mortality data from Chile has found that the most important factor in reducing maternal mortality is the educational level of women. "

11 May 2012

Best and worst mothers worldwide

Right in time for Mother’s day comes a report on the best and worst mothers worldwide. U.S. moms have moved up six places - from 31st to 25th - in the 13th annual Save The Children State of the World's Mothers report. That puts the U.S. right between Belarus and the Czech Republic. Norway is No. 1, just ahead of Iceland and Sweden.

10 May 2012

New clue to predicting pre-eclampsia, the most common and severe pregnancy-related disease

An indication of whether a mother will develop pre-eclampsia, the most common and severe pregnancy-related disease, has been identified by a University of Sydney study.

9 May 2012

Low weight gain reported among women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy

In one of the largest studies of its kind, clinicians and researchers with Carolinas HealthCare System found that nearly 25% of women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) reported weight gain below recommended levels for their pre-pregnancy body mass index (PPBMI).

7 May 2012

American voters say U.S. support for WHO important, poll shows

"Nine in 10 U.S. voters say it's important for the United States to support the global health efforts of the U.N.'s World Health Organization, according to a United Nations Foundation/Better World Campaign poll released Thursday," The Hill's "Global Affairs" blog reports.

5 May 2012

UNFPA, International Confederation of Midwives recognize International Day of the Midwife

In a joint statement, UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin and Agneta Bridges, secretary-general of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), recognize the International Day of the Midwife on May 5.

5 May 2012

Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development opens

On May 3, 2012, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and the UC San Diego School of Medicine launched the Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development.

5 May 2012

U.S. government celebrates 'remarkable' country-level success in improving maternal health

In this post in USAID's "IMPACTblog," Chris Thomas, a health and development officer at USAID, reports on an event held on Capitol Hill on Tuesday during which "the U.S. Government celebrated remarkable country-level success in saving the lives of women during pregnancy and childbirth."

2 May 2012

Blogs examine malaria fight in recognition of World Malaria Day

Wednesday, April 25, marked World Malaria Day, which this year had the theme "Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria."

27 Apr 2012

Opinion pieces recognize World Malaria Day

Wednesday, April 25, marks World Malaria Day, which this year has the theme "Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria." The following opinion pieces address the fight against malaria.

26 Apr 2012

Efforts to improve maternal health in Uganda moving forward

This post on RH Reality Check examines a Ugandan court case "alleging that the Ugandan government failed to protect the ... constitutional rights to life and health [of several women] by allowing them to die in ill-equipped and poorly managed public hospitals, or failing to provide them with basic maternal care."

12 Apr 2012

Integrated programming necessary to address root causes of poverty, poor health

"From the rural villages in northern Uganda to the bustling city of Kampala, the poverty-fighting programs I visited last week have something notable in common: they demonstrate how integrated programming can help achieve sustainable changes in the lives of women, men and their families," Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA, writes in the Huffington Post Blog.

12 Apr 2012

Timing pregnancy an important health concern for women

A newly published article in the journal Nursing for Women’s Health highlights the importance of a woman’s ability to time her childbearing. The author asserts that contraception is a means of health promotion and women who work with their health care providers to ensure they are healthy prior to conceiving can minimize their risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

11 Apr 2012

Australia-first meeting tackles unacceptable maternal and child health in Burma

Unacceptably high maternal and infant mortality rates in Burma are being addressed for the first time in Australia at a conference at the University of Sydney today.

9 Apr 2012

Delegates at 126th IPU Assembly in Uganda focus on child, maternal health

"Over 600 parliamentarians from more than 100 countries" met in Kampala, Uganda, this week for the 126th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, where participants discussed child and maternal health and nutrition, UNICEF reports in a news article.

7 Apr 2012

Jakarta Globe examines maternal mortality in Indonesia

The Jakarta Globe examines maternal mortality in Indonesia, writing, "Indonesia may be progressing slowly and steadily toward fulfilling its targets under the Millennium Development Goals, but the issue of maternal health continues to present many challenges."

5 Apr 2012

Starvation during childhood may increase risk of heart complications

Russians born during the Leningrad Siege in World War II, which was responsible for some of the greatest losses of civilian life in history, are giving scientists new strategies to identify people who experienced intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and starvation during childhood at greatest risk of developing long term heart complications.

31 Mar 2012