Technical Areas

Treatment of Complications

Approximately 15 percent of pregnancies experience potentially life-threatening complications. While many complications cannot be prevented, the progression to an emergency and possible death can often be averted through vigilant monitoring and rapid appropriate care. In order to achieve the greatest public health impact where maternal mortality is very high, USAID focuses on basic essential obstetric care (rather than comprehensive care including surgical intervention and blood transfusion) that can be provided at the hospital, health center or even in the home by non-physician providers. Basic essential obstetric care includes essential drugs (oxytocics, antibiotic, and sedatives), fluid replacement, and manual procedures. Essential newborn care includes resuscitation and post resuscitation care for birth asphyxia, as well as newborn warming procedures and assisted feeding for low birthweight babies.

Related Links

• Indonesian Mothers Surviving Childbirth More Often with Support from Husbands, Community, Faith-based Groups
• Learn more about Disabilities as a Result of Pregnancy and Childbirth
• The Skilled Provider: A Key Player in Saving the Lives of Women and Newborns

Technical Guides

• Guidelines for Assessment of Skilled Providers after Training in Maternal and Newborn Healthcare [PDF, 624KB]
• Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Guide for Midwives and Doctors
• Maternal Morbidity in Labour and Puerperium in Rural Homes and the Need for Medical Attention: A Prospective Observational Study in Gadchiroli, India [MS Word, 214KB]
• Quality Assurance Project's Safe Motherhood Research Published in International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics