Life-changing moments like pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood can be stressful for women and their partners, based on World Health Organization (WHO).
It can cause an episode of poor mental health or lead to a worsening of previous mental health conditions.
Furthermore, among women with perinatal mental health conditions – immediately before and shortly after childbirth – about 20% would have attempted suicide or engaged in self-harm, WHO said.
Guide with cultural sensitivity
Neglecting mental fitness not only jeopardizes the overall health and well-being of women, but also affects the physical and emotional development of infants.
New UN health agency guidelines for integrating perinatal mental health in maternal and child health services emphasizes that good mental health can improve health outcomes and the quality of maternal and child health services for all women.
And it compliments other services, including screening, diagnosis, and management of maternal and child health (MCH) PMH conditions – highlighted in Foster care framework; WHO recommendations for maternal and newborn care for a positive postpartum experience; and WHO guidelines for improving early childhood development.
The best informational guide available to assist MCH providers in identifying symptoms of mental health problems and responding in a manner appropriate to their local and cultural context .
Planning Guide
The Guidelines provide an evidence-informed approach to planning the integration of perinatal mental health care into MCH services and assess the impact its”.
WHO states that effective mainstreaming requires, for example, a core group responsible for monitoring, situation analysis and needs assessment to identify a viable package of interventions that meet women’s needs. during the perinatal period, and train and supervise an adequate workforce to deliver the service.
“MCH services in the perinatal period are a unique opportunity to support women in a respectful and non-discriminatory environment,” said the United Nations health agency.
This, in turn, leads to increased participation and better participation in the care of women and their infants, as well as enhanced well-being and social progress.
