Reduce the risks of fatal birth-related complications

A recent study has found that 70% of Malaysian women who died during childbirth or pregnancy complications apparently did not practice any form of family planning. Find out how to protect yourself better.

Find out how to prevent childbirth complications

Women face many risks when when bringing a new life into the world. But the possibility of dying during childbirth could be prevented with family planning. A recent study has found that 70% of Malaysian women who died during childbirth or pregnancy complications apparently did not practice any form of family planning. This is based on findings into the maternal mortality rate conducted by the Health Ministry.

The risks of not planning ahead

It appears that women who do not practice family planning are gambling with their lives, according to Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department:

“Pregnancies should be at an optimal time to allow mothers to recuperate. If we want to reduce the maternal mortality rate to 11 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015, we have to apply family planning.” Dr Farouk said after the launching of the hospital’s family planning month themed “Pregnant by Choice, Not by Chance or Force.”

He also added that the risk of maternal deaths were double fold for women who have been pregnant for at least five times in the recent past:

“Proper family planning will be able to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancies and miscarriages.”

Family planning for a safer childbirth

Family planning is an effective way of preventing maternal deaths by avoiding risky pregnancies. Women who can plan and space their pregnancies are healthier and better educated. The risk arises when some women have had almost no sexual or reproductive health education.

By following proper family planning many pregnancy and childbirth deaths can be prevented in the following ways:

1. Too early. Women who are under the age of 18 may have a higher risk of dying in childbirth because their bodies are not fully developed to take the stress.
2. Too late. Older women face more danger in childbearing, especially if they have other health problems.
3. Too close together. A woman’s body needs time to rest and recover between pregnancies.
4. Too many births. A woman with more than 4 children may have a greater risk of death after childbirth from bleeding and other causes.

Babies don’t get to choose when or how they come into the world. Therefore when mothers have the choice to plan their pregnancies, it benefits both mother and child.

Source: The Star

For more related articles on pregnancy and childbirth, see:

Doctor tells all on complications during labour

How to overcome childbirth fears

Pregnancy for older women, still possible?

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Written by

Felicia Chin

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