Changes in pregnancy and childbirth practices in remote areas in Lao PDR within two generations of women

This paper sheds light on the inter-generational changes in pregnancy and childbirth practices in remote areas of Lao PDR over a period of 30 years. The study consisted of focus group discussions with pregnant women aged 14-30, mothers and fathers of small children, and older women aged 40+ in six rural communities in two districts. Childbirth practices were gradually evolving and changing - most dramatically illustrated by the transition from forest-based to home-based delivery, and a few health facility-based deliveries when complications occurred. Today's generation of women aged 40+ did not recommend all the practices of their mothers, but saw the need to adapt due to the social and medical risks they had experienced, especially high rates of neonatal death. Their daughters are doing the same. The increase in home-based deliveries should be regarded as significant progress in this setting in rural Laos. Understanding how young women interpret their options and incorporating that knowledge and the experience of successful local outreach programmes into health system policy and practice for maternity care, e.g. by strengthening the skills of community-based health workers, could contribute to improving maternal and neonatal survival and reducing health inequalities

Biology · Childbirth · Obstetrics · Pregnancy · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Nursing

• Supervising children to be good people’

  Open Access•Mónica Ruiz-Casares, Saithong Phommavong et al.•Child & Family Social Work•2024

  Incluir item

• A three-pronged approach to advocacy for sustainable national funding

  Karen Hoehn•Reproductive Health Matters•2014

  Incluir item

• Equity in maternal, newborn, and child health interventions in Countdown to 2015

  Open Access•Aluísio J D Barros, Aluisio JD Barros et al.•The Lancet•2012

  Incluir item

• Women's groups practising participatory learning and action to improve maternal and newborn health in low-resource settings

  Open Access•Audrey Prost, Trevor Colbourn et al.•The Lancet•2013

  Incluir item

• Bringing evidence to policy to achieve health-related MDGs for all

  Open Access•Sarah Thomsen, Nawi Ng et al.•Global Health Action•2013

  Incluir item

• Inequity in maternal health care service utilization in Gujarat

  Open Access•Deepak Saxena, Ruchi Vangani et al.•Global Health Action•2013

  Incluir item

• Coping with uncertainty during healthcare-seeking in Lao PDR

  Open Access•Helle Mølsted Alvesson, Magnus Lindelow et al.•BMC International Health and…•2013

  Incluir item

• Grandmothers and Women's Health

  Afaf I Meleis, Eun-Ok Im et al.•Health Care For Women International•2002

  Incluir item

• An activity-based cost analysis of the Honduras Community-Based, Integrated Child Care (AIN-C) programme

  Open Access•John L Fiedler, C A Villalobos et al.•Health Policy and Planning•2008

  Incluir item

• Learning From the Grandmothers

  Open Access•Charlotte Loppie•Qualitative Health Research•2007

  Incluir item

• Socio-economic improvements and health system strengthening of maternity care are contributing to maternal mortality reduction in Cambodia

  Jerker Liljestrand, Mean Reatanak Sambath•Reproductive Health Matters•2012

  Incluir item

• Too far to walk

  Open Access•Sereen Thaddeu, Sereen Thaddeus et al.•Social Science & Medicine•1994

  Incluir item

• We Grandmothers Know Plenty

  Open Access•Rachel Bezner Kerr, Laifolo Dakishoni et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2008

  Incluir item

• Building on community outreach for childhood vaccination to deliver maternal and child health services in Laos

  Bart Jacobs, Magnus Lindelow et al.•Reproductive Health Matters•2012

  Incluir item

• From the forest to the clinic

  Seng-Amphone Chithtalath, Sengamphone Chithtalath et al.•Reproductive Health Matters•2001

  Incluir item