Influence of natural-disaster related stress on maternal and child health
Keywords:
Natural disaster, Maternal health, Child health, Fetal health, Reproductive healthAbstract
Natural disasters impart crucial threats to the health, personal security and livelihood of individuals, communities and societies. The impacts of climate-related disaster are most harshly experienced by people living in low-income and middle-income countries who have a higher dependence on natural resources and who are exposed to higher rates of socioeconomic disadvantage. Humanitarian emergencies ensuing from natural disasters have significant health problems, including reproductive health issues. Improvement of maternal and fetal health, neonatal and children well-being is one of the important socioeconomic targets of the developing countries worldwide. Fetal exposure to prenatal and maternal stress can have lifelong consequences. Different types of maternal stress are associated with different areas of child development. Natural disasters are now become very frequent throughout the world and concern is increasing that they may badly affect short and long term health outcomes. Maternal psychological stress and trauma are more pronounced when pregnant mothers experience natural disasters like earthquake, floods, hurricanes, fires etc. Women become both victims and the primary caretakers. Pregnant women exposed to natural disasters are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and several behavioural disorders. Chances of miscarriage, intra uterine growth retardation (IUGR), preterm birth, postpartum haemorrhage increases significantly in pregnant mothers. On the other hand, maternal stress and post disaster trauma during pregnancy affects childhood body composition, metabolism and different stages of neurodevelopment.
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