MATERNAL HEALTH ACT

Maternal Health Act (H.R. 894)

Maternal Health Act (H.R. 894)

Introduction

Beginning with conception, a mother's health is intricately and vitally connected to her baby in utero's health. There are ample resources available to instruct expectant women how to take care for themselves. However, the emphasis on maternal health is toward having a healthy baby. Topics on pregnancy-focused Websites and texts tell women what to expect from morning sickness to labor and delivery. Most include information that supports consuming healthy foods and maintaining a physically active pregnancy, and offer advice on the warning signs and symptoms of potential problems.

Similarly, obstetricians and other maternal health professionals focus on mothers' health as an indicator of fetus' health. Women presume that if they follow doctors' orders, they will deliver healthy babies. For many women, this translates to their adherence to the advice provided without question. It is common for a patient to trust that her doctor is acting in the best interest of her and her baby, desiring to shift the weight responsibility to professionals if something were to go wrong during pregnancy, labor, or delivery.

Threats to Maternal Health

Several problems that can arise during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum and that threaten maternal health are ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, hemorrhaging, infection, toxemia and hypertensive disease, illegal and unsafe abortion, obstructed labor, erupted uterus, tearing, C-section, seizure, depression, anxiety, too much (or too little) weight gain, swelling, embolism, and anesthesia-related complications. Further problems can result in death. Gaining too much weight; use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; , vaginal infections; and domestic violence can also interfere with having a healthy pregnancy and child. According to Healthy People 2010, 327 maternal deaths were reported in the United States in 1997 (Feinberg, 2006).

This number is devastating for two reasons: First, many of these deaths could have been prevented. Second, there is a significant impact of women's premature death on their families. Similar to the directives from other media, Healthy People 2010 focuses much of its goal on improving the health and well-being of women, infants, children, and families, and on how women's health impacts their infants, children, and families.

After birth, maternal health becomes secondary to the child's health, even for breastfeeding mothers, who may encounter some discussion of the importance of diet, physical activity, sleep, and stress management. However, these conversations, too, are intended to provide support to women, so they can continue to nourish their infants for as long as possible. These and other health-promoting behaviors are protective and often health-predictive for baby and nursing mothers in preventing acute and chronic health problems.

Women are often unaware of how long recovery can take, as well as the challenges of postpartum depression, shedding baby weight and understanding normal bodily changes as a result of labor, delivery, and recovery. The postpartum period typically refers to the time required for the reproductive organs to return to their pre pregnancy state, usually in about six weeks, and is perceived to require little medical ...