Maternal and Child Health Commons^™

Tibetan Women’S Experiences With Childbirth: A Comparative Study Of Present-Day Shangri-La And Previous Studies In Tibetan Communities, Billie Dunn-Mcmartin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

What are the experiences of Tibetan women living in and around Shangri-La with pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood? In order to explore this topic, one must first understand the context in which this topic exists: Tibetan Buddhism and culture. This paper gives a short background on women and the female body in Tibetan Buddhism, the Tibetan Medical system, and the current accessibility and regulation of hospitals, before entering into the topic of Tibetan women’s experiences with childbirth. The experiences and traditional practices of childbirth are important, as birth is universally significant as well as particularly religiously significant in Tibetan Buddhism, and …

The Shifting Roles Of Dai Maas: An Intersection Of Healthcare And Female Empowerment In Rural Udaipur, Julie Morel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), known as dais in an Indian context, have historically served as women’s primary caregivers throughout their pregnancies and during childbirth in rural regions where access to formal healthcare institutions is nearly impossible. With a heavy reliance on traditional knowledge passed down through generations, dais have aided with home deliveries for millennia. Approximately 15 years ago, however, groups such as WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and the UN began addressing India’s high maternal mortality rate (MMR), thereby instigating the discouragement of home deliveries in favor of the encouragement of institutional deliveries. Infrastructural changes were established to improve accessibility …

When The Health System Fails You: Maternal Care Under Kenya’S 2017 Nurses' Strike, Tessa Coughtrey-Davenport

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on the 2017 nurses’ strike and how the crippling of the public health system impacted maternal care in Kisumu, Kenya. Kenya has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, and there have been many efforts to reduce this, such as delivery with a Skilled Birth Attendant and attending antenatal care visits, all of which are centered around a functioning health system. The research team used a combination of interviews with key populations and analysis of service delivery data at local health centers to evaluate the effects of the strike on maternal care. The study …

Essential Newborn Care During Humanitarian Crises: Integration Of Low-Cost Interventions, Athena Wong

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Newborn healthcare has long been neglected on the international agenda despite neonatal death making up 44% of all under-five deaths. Neonates are newborns under 28 days of age and are the most vulnerable population with the highest risk of mortality during humanitarian emergencies. The common misconception that neonatal healthcare is very expensive and requires delivery from highly skilled healthcare professionals must be dismissed. There are many low-cost interventions that are highly effective at saving lives, the most notable ones being kangaroo mother care, bag and mask resuscitation, and basic immunizations. The leading causes of neonatal death are prematurity, intrapartum complications, …

Maternity Care: A Case Study At Centro De Parto Normal, Kemi Oladipo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

An overwhelming percentage of Brazil’s population has caesarean births (C-sections), and during pregnancies many women endure violations of their rights such as mental and physical abuse. The main objective of my community study project (CSP) is to learn more about normal childbirth through fieldwork at Centro de Parto Normal (CPN). The goal is to understand how CPN’s approach and principles create a better birthing experience with quality maternity care. My second objective is to learn how CPN mitigate issues with accessibility to health facilities, especially in Brown and Black locations. A general goal is to share my acquired knowledge and …

Equity And Community-Based Health Insurance: How Does Insurance Coverage Affect Health Seeking Behavior Among Disadvantaged Groups In India?, Hazel Hering

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this study is to examine how Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) can promote equity by improving health seeking behavior across gender and geography. Using a CBHI scheme from the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) as a case study, trends in claims filed between October 2016 and March 2017 are compared to the distribution of memberships in order to investigate whether health insurance coverage positively impacts health seeking behavior among disadvantaged groups, and what barriers to access exist when the burden of medical costs are reduced. This study concludes that the number of male and female claims in the sample …

Access To Information And Services Regarding Maternal Health And Healthcare Within Tribal Communities Around Udaipur, Rajasthan, Arista Jhanjee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The following study seeks to investigate access to antenatal and delivery-related services and information among women residing in rural, tribal communities around Udaipur, Rajasthan, and to analyze determinants that affect such access. More specifically, it seeks to evaluate one determinant in particular: that of association with and use of the services provided by the nonprofit organization Seva Mandir, which works with rural communities throughout southern Rajasthan in order to facilitate the improvement of health and development activities and outcomes. Methods used for the collection of the data upon which the study draws were qualitative: interviews were conducted with 27 women …

Daycare, Decision-Making, And The Determinants Of Health: A Mother-Centric Approach To Understanding Childcare And Child Health In Rural Dharamshala, Arielle Rawlings

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indian children have long suffered from some of the world’s worst rates of malnutrition. However, there is an evident mismatch between the macro proliferation of India’s intergenerational cycle of malnutrition and the micro ways in which it is often approached, as established views that place blame on mothers for the poor health status of their children have systematically removed blame from underlying structural determinants of health such as government policies, social inequalities, and economic conditions. Taking a mother-centric approach, this study examines the links between childcare practices and maternal decisionmaking in the context of Dharamshala, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh. Interviews …

¿Querías Salir Embarazada?: La Cultura Y La Salud De Las Embarazadas En Puerto Bello / Did You Want To Get Pregnant?: The Culture And Health Of Pregnant Women In Puerto Bello, Jessie Malone Friedman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las mujeres embarazadas ya son, según la perspectiva del médico, pacientes en riesgo. Hay diferentes niveles de riesgo: con algunas clasificadas “en bajo riesgo obstétrico, algunas en alto riesgo obstétrico; incluso, bajo riesgo obstétrico evoluciona a alto riesgo obstétrico.” Por eso, ambos a nivel del médico de alguna embarazada y a nivel nacional de la salud pública, las embarazadas son un enfoque especial de la atención médica, en cualquier caso. En Nicaragua, hay muchas mujeres embarazadas y aún más mujeres que podrían salir embarazadas en cualquier momento. En 2005, las mujeres con capacidad fértil representaron el 41.5% de la población …

El Acceso Y Uso De Las Pruebas Genéticas Para La Detección Precoz De Enfermedades Congénitas En Mujeres Embarazadas En La Ciudad Autónoma De Buenos Aires En El Año 2017 \ The Access And Use Of Genetic Tests For Early Detection Of Congenital Diseases In Pregnant Women In The Autonomous City Of Buenos Aires In The Year 2017, Anna Anna Bauer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las pruebas genéticas son una herramienta útil para la prevención y el diagnóstico de defectos congénitos en las mujeres embarazadas. Esta investigación explora el acceso y uso de estas pruebas para mujeres que residen en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires en el año 2017. Se trata de un tema amerita una investigación porque la tecnología para hacer estudios genéticos todavía es algo novedosa. Además, a través de las pruebas genéticas es posible detectar si el feto tiene un alto riesgo para desarrollar un defecto congénito, el cual es una de las causas más importantes de la mortalidad prenatal y …

The Jagori Rural Charitable Trust Model: Menstrual Education Of Women And Adolescent Girls In The Villages Of Rural Dharamsala, Madelon Morford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Reproductive rights and education of women in rural communities is of lesser importance in India’s patriarchal society. Reproductive health is a conversation that is rarely discussed, and the health status of women is of little priority behind that of men and children’s health. Education about the health and hygiene of menstruation allows for women and adolescent girls to play a role in their own health maintenance, as well as normalizes the discussion of menstruation and reproductive health. Studying Jagori Rural Charitable Trust’s efforts to disseminate knowledge about reproductive health, with specific focus on menstruation, allows for an understanding of the …

The Disappearance Of Nyoman And Ketut, Laura Michelle Garvie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Syrian Refugee Women In Jordan: Family Planning Preferences And Barriers In A Host Community, Hilary Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aims of this pilot study were to research and analyze the availability of birth control and family planning resources among Syrian refugee women at a reproductive age. This study took place in the host community of Karak, Jordan. Syrian women are a vulnerable population based solely on their gender. But being refugee women makes them more vulnerable and sometimes, their needs do not get met. This study is important because it will look into reproductive health aspects for this vulnerable population to ensure that there is satisfaction among women about their own health. This cross-sectional study sought to answer …

Breast Is Best: Determinants Of Breastfeeding In Bali, Leah Hardenbergh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Breastfeeding greatly benefits the health of newborns, providing them with needed antibodies and protection from numerous diseases, including some of the leading causes of infant mortality. This paper explores breastfeeding practices in Bali, and the wide array of factors that have led to these practices. After discussing how breastfeeding fits into the larger context of maternal and newborn health, I explain factors in Bali that affect a woman’s decision to breastfeed and experience while breastfeeding. Determinants include those related to health, financial position, and social status. I explore the history of formula companies and formula as an alternative to breastmilk, …

Continuous Care In Complex Contexts: Access To Health Services For Noncommunicable Diseases Among Syrian Refugee Women In Jordanian Host Communities, Jennifer Ostrowski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how, when and where Syrian refugee women living in a host community in central Jordan access health services related to noncommunicable diseases. Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but can be effectively managed through timely treatment. Examining access to care for these diseases in the context of humanitarian emergencies, such as war and displacement, is particularly important because they require continuous care, which may be interrupted during emergencies, and because they can cause acute complications, which may be exacerbated by emergencies (WHO, 2016).

Previous studies indicate a high burden of NCDs among …

“Always A Double-Edged Sword”: How Women And Health Care Providers Navigate Issues Of Contraception In Differing Senegalese Communities, Angelina Strohbach

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines how women and health care providers in two distinct Senegalese settings—Dakar and Mouit, a village located within the Gandiol region-- navigate contraception as both a social and medical good. Contraception is an invaluable tool in terms of advancing women’s right to reproductive health, but major discrepancies in its usage exist across a variety of social lines in Senegal, including level of education, marital status, occupation, age, and living in a rural versus urban setting. What socially constructed thought processes and lived experiences contribute to these discrepancies? In a cultural context heavily based upon tradition and Islamic faith, …

Multi-Sector Analysis Of The Progress And Challenges Of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eradication In Rural Udaipur, Jessica Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India is home to 240 million children currently at risk of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, which is spread via unclean water, soil, and food, and causes acute pain and malnutrition. While acknowledging the research debates over WASH and mass drug administration, this study seeks to identify the systemic multidisciplinary issues affecting STH elimination efforts in rural Udaipur. Twenty-three interviews were conducted in villages, government departments, NGOs, and medical sectors to identify the challenges within each approach to deworming, and their experiences with multi-sectoral collaboration. The most recurring issues across disciplines were need for invested local leadership, increase in health literacy of adults, …

A Preliminary Study Of Intergenerational Differences In Masxha Regarding Practice And Attitudes Towards Zulu Traditions During Pregnancy And Birth, Momoko Oyama

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Zulu culture, several traditions and rituals are practiced during a woman’s pregnancy and perinatal period. However, as urbanization spreads and western influences strengthen, these rituals risk being lost. This project aims to capture existing knowledge of these traditions and to assess the intergenerational changes in practice and attitudes towards practicing the rituals.

Information on Zulu traditions practiced during a woman’s pregnancy and perinatal period was collected through two interviews and a focus group consisting of three elderly women in Masxha, a Black township in KwaZulu-Natal. Following the interviews and focus group, 32 Masxha residents were recruited to complete …

Solid Waste Management Of Disposable Diaper Sanitation And The Connection To Environmental Awareness For Women In Zanzibar, Micalea Leaska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examined the solid waste management of disposable diapers in three locations, Stone Town, Mangapwani and Vikokotoni, within Zanzibar, Tanzania. Its methods included field observations of the solid waste disposal system in Zanzibar and interviews with women about their rationales for buying and using disposable diapers. For one of the first times, the data collected during this project will further assist to educate women about the benefits of cloth diapers and the negative effects disposable diapers create for Zanzibari families and the environment. This study has observed one of the most growing concerns regarding excess solid waste contributing to …

The Road Into The Future Of Health Care: The Importance Of Addressing Access To Health Facilities In Transportation Infrastructure Investment Decisions, Nicola (Nikki) Van Den Heever

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: One school of thought argues that transportation infrastructure is not an ultimate end goal of development and therefore shouldn’t be addressed within development funding decisions while the other argues that transportation infrastructure is the crucial foundation from which all development efforts are based and therefore needs to be addressed within development funding decisions. Within this framework, there is a lack of academic and other research addressing how physical access to health care for pregnant women can better be addressed when making decisions regarding funding of transportation infrastructure projects.

Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of considering access to health care …

Maternal Healthcare In Eastern Uganda: The Three Delays, Mothers Making Empowered Choices, And Combatting Maternal Mortality, Emma Gier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Maternal and child health has been noted as an international concern and issue. While access to maternal healthcare has improved in Uganda since 2000, maternal mortality rates have remained high in the country as of 2015. However, maternal and child healthcare are inherently important in promoting sustainable and positive development. For that reason, I have explored maternal healthcare in Uganda’s Eastern region, specifically in Mbale Town and surrounding rural areas including Kween and Manafwa districts. Specifically I have looked at what factors influence women’s decision to give birth in a health centre or hospital, versus at home. I have also …

Beyond The Three Delays: A Case Study Of Haiti's Maternal Health Sector, Stephanie Rapp

Capstone Collection

This research seeks to understand how the maternal health sector in Haiti can be understood and perhaps improved through the framework of the Three Delays, developed by Thaddeus and Maine (1994). These delays are (1) the delay in the decision to seek care, (2) the delay in reaching a health facility, and (3) the delay in receiving adequate care at a health facility. The findings of this capstone strongly demonstrated that global health practitioners in Haiti often opt for technical solutions, but in fact there are numerous shadow delays preventing these solutions from taking hold and ameliorating maternal mortality. Tensions …

Tools And Methods For Zika Prevention In Cachoeira, Bahia, Florence Tesha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Zika virus, which is mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, has become a major health threat in Brazil and other Latin American countries. Brazil is the country that is being most impacted with zika virus in addition to the existing mosquito-borne diseases of dengue and chikungunya. With the increase in zika virus infections, there have also been increasing numbers of infant brain abnormalities such as microcephaly associated to zika. International and local health institutions are working together to control and prevent zika transmission. This project aimed to investigate the various tools and methods employed by the Center …

Neglect Amidst The Zika Epidemic: A Case Study On The Reach Of Government Campaigns And Resources In Quilombo Community Praia Grande, Bahia, Jenna Sherman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In response to the ongoing Zika epidemic in Brazil, a nationwide campaign has recently been launched targeting the eradication of mosquitoes, preventing the contraction of Zika, and deterring pregnancies. Many remote areas of Brazil, however, may not be being reached by these campaigns or resources to the same extent as more urban or affluent areas of Brazil—despite the existence of the universal healthcare system Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). My objective, therefore, is to assess which media and on-ground campaigns regarding Zika have reached the minute island town of Praia Grande—a rural fishing Quilombo community of approximately 2,000 occupants off …

Obstetric Violence Within The Brazilian Healthcare System: A Critical Analysis Of The Childbirth Narratives Of Tupinambá Indigenous Women From The Olivença, Ilhéus Community, Cassandra Fareira

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this research project is to hear the personal narratives of Tupinambá Indigenous Brazilian women living in the Olivença community in Ilheus, Bahia regarding their experiences giving birth in order to discern the prevalence of various forms of obstetric violence within their experiences. In the context of this study the term "obstetric violence," derived from an extensive literature review, encompasses 1) physical abuse, 2) the unethical imposition of medical interventions, 3) the denial or lack of privacy, 4) undignified care which includes verbal abuse, 5) discrimination, 6) abandonment, neglect or the refusal to grant assistance, 7) detention in …

The Changing Roles And Reputations Of Dais In Rural Uttarakhand: An Investigation Into The Maternal Health Services Of Villages In Okhalkanda Block In Nainital, Jenna Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The dai, once a prominent figure in Indian maternal health, now faces marginalization as the government of India adopts the goal of universal institutional delivery. Under pressure from international discourse that Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) were more effective at lowering Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) like dais (World Health Organization), dai training was discontinued and left in the hands of NGOs, while concurrently women and ASHAs were monetarily incentivized for every institutional birth (Park, 419). Yet in rural, isolated, or hilly areas like Okhalakanda block in Uttarakhand, institutional delivery is a long way from universal—only …

A Comparative Study Of Women’S Health Care: Non-Syrian Refugee Women Living In Amman And Syrian Refugee Women Living In Refugee Camps, Megan Kerstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to compare access and quality of women’s health care in Amman for non-Syrian refugee women and women’s health care in Syrian refugee camps. I also sought to understand how women’s health care could be improved in both Amman and in Syrian refugee camps. I hypothesized that Syrian refugee women in camps will have less access and lower quality women’s health care since refugee camps’ funding is limited, making medical equipment and women’s health care providers short. Since women in Amman often have more stable family situations and jobs, I thought they would have more …

Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In Rural Maharashtra: A Preventative Approach To Risk Factor Reduction Through Lifestyle Interventions, Jess Wiken

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the contribution and correlation between lifestyle behaviors and modifiable risk factors (MRF) established in adolescence and during pregnancy with development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) exclusive to preeclampsia (PE), eclampsia, and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). MRF include but are not exclusive to diet and nutrition, physical activity, and Mishri use. Associations of HDP with increased premature cardiovascular risk in the affected woman and child indicate the importance of healthy lifestyle modifications that promote cardiovascular health and longevity and reduction of risk factors through prevention. While cardiac conditions are primarily associated …

A Precarious Paradigm: Seeking Alternatives To Public-Private Partnerships In Health, A Case For The Code, Lena Mininberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Breastfeeding is an unparalleled source of nutrition for infants and young children and is recommended as the best practice universally by the World Health Organization (WHO). The benefits in human health and development that result from exclusive and sustained breastfeeding have enormous economic development potential. Because of the non-legally binding nature of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the Code), and shifting socio-cultural norms, breastfeeding rates are at an alarming low. In order to progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, breastfeeding practices must be protected, promoted, and supported worldwide.

Objective: This research paper explores implementing strong measures …

El Rol De Los Servicios Sociales En El Acompañamiento De Mujeres Durante El Proceso De Interrupción Legal Del Embarazo En Un Hospital Público En La Provincia De Buenos Aires / The Role Of Social Services In The Accompaniment Of Women During The Process Of Legally Terminating A Pregnancy In A Public Hospital In The Province Of Buenos Aires, Judy Rivière

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El acceso a la Interrupción Legal del Embarazo (ILE) sigue siendo limitado para muchas mujeres en Argentina. En la mayoría de los hospitales públicos, no se hace la ILE. Este tema es todavía muy polémico y tiene implicaciones diferentes, no solo en el nivel provincial, sino también en el nivel municipal. En las instituciones donde se hacen interrupciones del embarazo, los profesionales de la salud tienen mirada abierta que incluyen factores biopsicosociales. Por eso, las trabajadoras sociales, que miran la salud desde la perspectiva de determinantes sociales, tienen un rol importante en la facilitación del acceso a la ILE para …