Research Briefs on Maternal and Child Health

Pregnancy-related complications claim the lives of half a million women worldwide every year, with most of these deaths occurring in the developing world. For women in industrialized countries, the lifetime risk of death from pregnancy complications is 1 in 2,800, but that risk for women worldwide is 1 in 74.

These briefs focus on research to make pregnancy and delivery safer.

The Impact of TBA Training in Ghana (1998)

Does training traditional birth attendants (TBAs) ultimately result in safer births? In collaboration with the Regional Health Administration in Brong-Ahafo Region, FHI evaluated TBA training conducted in central Ghana during the mid-1990s to determine its impact on TBA practices and ultimately on maternal morbidity.

The Importance of Family Planning in Reducing Maternal Mortality (1995)

Of the half million women who die each year of pregnancy-related causes, 99% live in developing countries. Two approaches can reduce these deaths: making pregnancy and delivery safer, and reducing the number of pregnancies through family planning. An FHI analysis used data from Matlab Thana in Bangladesh to demonstrate the impact of family planning on maternal mortality.