MA Economics
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Browsing MA Economics by Subject "Antenatal care"
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Item Restricted The continuum of maternal care and its effects on neonatal survival in the Philippines: testing the WHO recommendations(2014-04) Bundoc, Filipinas G.; Quimbo, Stella Luz A.Progress reports on the Millennium Development Goals underscore the need to reduce neonatal mortality in order to meet the country's targets for child mortality. This paper examines the importance of pregnant women seeking the World Health Organization-recommended levels of antenatal care coverage as well as making appropriate facility choice decisions for delivery in reducing neonatal deaths. The focus is on the effects of compliance with combined standards on the timing and frequency of check-ups, i.e., the recommended continuum of care, which addresses the changes in risk conditions throughout the pregnancy. Using data from the 2008 National Demographic andHealth Survey, results indicate that after controlling for the maternal and fetal characteristics, children born of women who completed the recommended check-ups and delivered in a facility are more likely to survive neonatal period compared to those who did not comply with the WHO-recommended care. Those born of women who had late initiation of care but fulfilled all other check-ups thereafter had better neonatal outcomes compared to non-compliers. In addition, women who sought care only in the first two trimesters give birth to children who are less likely to survive neonatal period. These results suggest the need to encourage pregnant women to obtain the appropriate levels of care at the right time and deliver in a facility. This can be achieved with increased efforts in integrating pregnant women into the health care system.