Cultural Barriers To Maternal Health Care In Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is a country with over one third of the population living in poverty and another one third living just above poverty level. The World Health Organization (2010) indicates that Bangladesh has poor prenatal and postpartum care, nutritional deficiencies, high incidence of non-skilled birth attendant utilization, and the second highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates next to sub-Saharan Africa. Women living in Bangladesh are at high risk for maternal mortality and morbidity in the postpartum period. Malnourishment, anemia, poverty, lack of skilled birth attendants, and limited prenatal and postpartum care are some of the issues facing women living in rural Bangladesh. There remains a need for providers with expertise in obstetrics and gynecology, women's health physical therapists, and other maternal health providers to provide postpartum education regarding prenatal and postpartum care to women and their skilled birth attendants living in the more vulnerable rural regions.