Good maternal health ‘reparations’ has lifelong benefits for women, research finds

Maternal health production process. The diagram illustrates the relationships and interdependencies of superdeterminants, showing how the characteristics of the planet shape the biological and physiological evolution of reproduction in the human species (Homo sapiens) and how continual adaptations of humans to the planet culminate into cultural practices, social norms, and political and economic systems, that influence the contexts in which pregnancy and childbirth take place (social determinants), as well as the individual-level traits, lifestyle patterns, and exposures to external agents. The resultant effect of these forces on maternal health and well-being depends on the efficiency of the health system in neutralizing detrimental forces and enhancing beneficial ones. In this representation, exposures and lifestyles are influenced both by individual factors and social determinants. The performance of the health system is also dependent on superdeterminants and influenced by individual-level factors and social determinants. Credit: The Lancet Global Health (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00468-0 Women around the world who have positive health ‘reparations’ during the journey through pregnancy benefit throughout their lives, new research says. In a new paper published in eClinicalMedicine as part of a special World Health Organization series on maternal health, academics review existing theories of ‘vulnerability’ for women during pregnancy and...