Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Maternal Mortality and the Consequences on Infant and Child Survival in Rural Haiti

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Maternal and Child Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: To determine the odds of death of children when a woman of reproductive age dies from maternal or non maternal causes in rural Haiti.

Methods: Deaths among reproductive aged women between 1997 and 1999 in and around Jeremie, Haiti were classified as maternal or non maternal and matched to female, non-deceasesd controls based on village, age, and parity. Information regarding the health and survival of all of the offspring under 12 years old of the identified women was extracted from the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) Health Information System (HIS). Additional demographic information was obtained through interviews with the mothers for controls and with family members for cases. Two analyses on child death were conducted; 1) the odds of death for each individual child after a mother’s death and 2) the odds of one of the children in a family dying after the mother’s death.

Findings: If a family experiences a maternal death, that family has a 55.0% increased odds of experiencing the loss of a child less than 12, whereas when a non maternal death occurs, no increased odds exists. When children of cases were compared to children of controls, mean weight z-scores were the same for the periods corresponding to before and after the maternal deaths. After a maternal death, dosage of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) TB (tuberculosis) immunization for the surviving child is significantly lower, as are dosage of measles immunization and the first dose of vitamin A.

Conclusions: This study shows that a maternal death significantly effects the survival of children in a family in a greater way than a non maternal death.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. UNFPA, The State of World Population 2002. 2002, UNFPA: New York, NY.

  2. WHO, Maternal Mortality in 2000: Estimates developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA. 2004.

  3. Lawn JE et al. 4 million neonatal deaths: when? Where? Why? Lancet 2005;365(9462):891–900.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Black R, Morris S, Bryce J. Where and why are 10 milliion children dying every year. Lancet 2003;361:2226–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Anonymous. Healthier mothers and babies. Morb Mort Wkly Rep 1999;48(38):849–58.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Marsh D et al. Advancing newborn health and survival in developing countries: A conceptual framework. J Perinatol 2002;22:572–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Moss W et al. Research priorities for the reduction of perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in developing country communities. J Perinatol 2002;22(6):484–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chen LC et al. Maternal mortality in rural Bangladesh. Stud Fam Plann 1974;5(11):334–41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Koenig MA et al. Maternal mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh: 1976–85. Stud Fam Plann 1988;19(2):69–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Greenwood A et al. A prospective survey of the outcome of pregnancy in a rural area of the Gambia. Bull World Health Organ 1987;65:635–43.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Katz J et al. Risk factors for early infant mortality in Sarlah district, Nepal. Bull World Health Organ 2003;81:717–25.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. World Bank, World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health. 1993, World Bank: Washington, DC.

  13. Strong M. The health of adults in the developing world: A view from Bangladesh. Health Transition Rev 1992;2(2):215–24.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Sear R et al. The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia. Demography 2002;39(1):43–63.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Masmas TN et al. Survival among motherless children in rural and urban areas in Guinea-Bissau.[see comment]. Acta Paediatrica 2004;93(1):99–105.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Becher H et al. Risk factors of infant and child mortality in rural Burkina Faso. Bull World Health Organ 2004;82(4):265–73.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. UNICEF, State of the Worlds Children 2003. 2003, UNICEF: New York. p. 85, 109, 111.

  18. SAS Institute, SAS 9.1. 2002: Cary, NC.

  19. CDC, Epi Info. 2004: Atlanta, Georgia.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) for allowing us to partner with them. The authors would also like to acknowledge Ken Guire at Center for Statistical Consultation and Research (CSCAR), University of Michigan and Divya Patel at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School for statistical guidance. The authors also acknowledge Zaneta Chang who performed the initial studies that identified and confirmed maternal mortalities in HHF database.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank W. J. Anderson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anderson, F.W.J., Morton, S.U., Naik, S. et al. Maternal Mortality and the Consequences on Infant and Child Survival in Rural Haiti. Matern Child Health J 11, 395–401 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-006-0173-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-006-0173-0

Keywords

Navigation