Avoiding a "big" baby: Local perceptions and social responses toward childbirth-related complications in Menabe, Madagascar

Dolorès Pourette, Carole Pierlovisi, Ranjatiana Randriantsara, Elliot Rakotomanana and Chiarella Mattern

Social Science & Medicine, 2018, vol. 218, issue C, 52-61

Abstract: In Madagascar, a country where over 60% of deliveries are not attended by a healthcare professional, late or inadequate responses to complications during childbirth account for a great number of maternal deaths. In this article, we analyse local perceptions of birth-related risks and strategies used to avoid these risks or manage complications of childbirth. We conduct this analysis in light of the social meanings of childbirth and the social expectations placed upon women in a context of socio-economic vulnerability and a challenged public health system.

Keywords: Madagascar; Maternal mortality; Childbirth-related complications; Local knowledge; Pregnant women's care pathways; Anthropological approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.10.002

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