'Poor nutrition causes maternal deaths'

'Poor nutrition causes maternal deaths'

PADANG, West Sumatra: Excessive blood loss during childbirth remains a major cause of maternal deaths in West Sumatra due to undernourishment, a leading physician said.

Gynecologist and obstetrician Mahjuddin Soeleman said on Wednesday the situation resulted from the widespread lack of nutritional knowledge among pregnant mothers and their lack of money, which prevented them from receiving regular medical examinations.

Official figures show that in addition to blood loss, which this year accounted for 41.7 percent of maternal deaths, toxemia and infection are also major causes of such deaths, each constituting 25 percent.

Other ailments affecting the heart and liver, which expectant mothers may have been suffering from before pregnancy, have also become indirect causes of delivery deaths in the province.

"The high maternal and also infant mortality rate has been hard to prevent because most patients are only willing to be hospitalized once they are already in a serious condition," Mahjuddin added. --Antara