"The Mother's health is-- the child's future"

More than 10 million of the children world over die each year before reaching the age of five, sadly TWO out of every THREE of these children die from easily preventable diseases, such as Diarrhea, pneumonia, Malaria, measles, tetanus. Majority of them die due to MALNUTRITION, especially  lack of breast milk due to ANAEMIC MOTHERS.-Inspite of their taking Iron Tablets.   

This what Dr Kent has said --about Ferrum metallicum. "The Old School has been giving Iron for anaemia throughout all tradition. They have given it in great quantities in the form of the tincture of chloride, and the carbonate.

Whenever the patient became anemic, pallid, waxy and weak, Iron was the tonic. It is true that Iron produces anemia, and it would be astonishing to any one who ever read the provings of Ferrum of the allopaths did not create additional bloodlessness with the doses of Iron they administer.

It is true that under the provings, and under those circumstances where Iron has been given in excess, the patient becomes greenish, waxy, yellow and pallid, with a sickly and anemic countenance. The lips become pale; the ears lose their pink color; the skin of the body becomes waxy, and there comes a tendency to hemorrhage, at times with clots, but commonly with copious, thin, liquid blood, very dark.

The clots will separate and the fluid parts look brown, dirty and watery. The patient gradually emaciates. He is pallid and waxy; his muscles become flabby and relaxed; he is incapable of endurance. All the muscular fibers become tired from any exertion. Rapid exercise, or, any unusual exertion. is impossible. Any rapid exertion or motion brings on weakness, dyspnea, sinking and fainting.

A strange thing running through all the constitutional conditions of Ferrum is that the pains and sufferings come on during rest.

The palpitation sometimes comes on during rest, the dyspnoea comes on during rest, and even the weakness. The patient is ameliorated by moving gently about, but any exertion tires and causes faintness.

Any rapid motion aggravates the complaints---- the above  para  needs a serious  look  by all those concerned  with MOTHER AND CHILD HEALTH CARE

Antenatal care is the care of the women during pregnancy. The primary aim is to achieve at the end of pregnancy a HEALTHY MOTHER  and a  HEALTHY BABY

The objectives OF ANTENATAL CARE-

• To promote protect and maintain the health of the mother during pregnancy./Symptomatic treatment like nausea ,1^st Trimester complaints /symptomatic treatment  followed with constitutional management  acts as an prophylactic and protects the mother  from further complications 

• To detect high risk cases and give them special attention.(Past history of the patient would help in taking preventive steps.

• To foresee complications and prevent them.
  • -MORNING SICKNESS: This is easily the most troublesome and quite exhausting  disorder during pregnancy.
  • -CONSTIPATION: A common complaint during pregnancy
  • -HEADACHE AND VERTIGO
  • -URINARY DISORDERS,
  • -FALSE PAINS( False labor pains must be seriously treated when they come several weeks before the term),
  • -BACKACHE,
  • -VARICOSE VEINS,
  • -MISCARRIAGE: When pregnancy , terminates before its full term it is called abortion. The danger of miscarriage is the greatest from the 8^th to 12^th  week, late miscarriages are more dangerous. A woman who has  had a miscarriage once is generally liable to have it again unless she is suitably treated.
    
• To remove anxiety and dread associated with delivery.
  
• To reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity
  
• To teach the mother elements of child care, nutrition, personal hygiene and environmental sanitation
  
• To sensitize the mother  to the need for family planning including advice to cases seeking  medical termination of pregnancy.

ANTENATAL VISITS

Ideally the mother should visit antenatal clinic once a month during the first seven months, twice a month during the next two months, and there after, once a week, if every thing is normal. In case the mother is not able to visit the clinic as stated above, because of any other reason, she must visit at least four times as follows.

• first visit before the third month

• Second visit during the sixth month

• Third visit during the eight month

• Fourth visit during 9^th month

PREVENTIVE SERVICES TO BE EXTENDED TO THE MOTHERS

1. Health History

2. Physical examination before delivery

3. Laboratory examinations

• Complete urine analysis

• Stool examination

• Complete blood count, including Hb estimation

• Serological examination

• Blood grouping and Rh determination

• Chest X ray if needed-unless its absolutely necessary due to some dangerous complication, a pregnant woman should not submit herself to an x ray examination-Dr Howard curtis , the world famous scientist and research scholar said," No matter how small the dose, radiation must shorten the life to some degree."

• Pap test

• VDRL and HIV test

• Hepatitis B and HBsA

On subsequent visits

• Physical examination weight gain, Blood pressure

• Lab tests should include Urine examination and hemoglobin estimation

• Iron and folic acid supplementation as needed/ Ferrum phos , Calc phos Biochemic tissue salts, Homoeopathic medicines  like Ferrum met

• Immunization against Tetanus and DPT

• Group or individual instruction on nutrition, family planning, self care, delivery and parenthood.

• Referral service as needed.

PRENATAL ADVICE TO BE GIVEN ON THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS

• Diet--- An expectant mother should always remember that with one mouth she has to eat for two persons  and the second person is such as demands not only the right food for the present needs but also for good future constitution

• Personal hygiene

• Rest and sleep

• Bowels

• Exercise

• Smoking

• Dental care

• Sexual practices

• Drugs

• Exposure to radiation

• Warning signs

• Child care

Special health protective measures

• Anemia

• Other nutritional deficiencies

• Toxemias of pregnancy (Albumin and BP)

• Tetanus; Two doses should be given. First dose 16-20 weeks and the second 20-24 weeks of pregnancy. (The minimum interval should be one month)

• Syphilis: infection of the foetus does not occur before 4^th month. Therefore the test must be repeated twice. First at first visit and the second late in pregnancy.

IN INDIA MORE THAN 30,000 CHILDREN DIE EVERY DAY.
LET ‘S (HOMOEOPATHS) PREPARE ANSWER TO THE ABOVE  NEEDS OF THE MOTHER.