According to recent study published in The Lancet, a third of mothers worldwide experience lasting health issues after childbirth. The report found that these medium-term and long-term (and often chronic) complications, which emerge after 6 weeks following childbirth, are comparatively less visible, or completely ignored. These findings have prompted calls to recognize and discuss common postnatal problems.
Sweeping Analysis Reveals Widespread Issues
The sweeping analysis examined health problems arising or continuing six weeks after childbirth or later. It found that over 40 million women worldwide experienced health issues post-childbirth including pain during sex, affecting more than a third (35%) of postpartum women, low back pain (32%), anal incontinence (19%), urinary incontinence (8-31%), anxiety (9-24%), depression (11-17%), perineal pain (11%), fear of childbirth (6-15%) and secondary infertility (11%).
The Guardian reports that the findings emerged from a series published in the Lancet Global Health and eClinicalMedicine, backed by the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction, the World Health Organization and the US Agency for International Development.
They quote Prof Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the WHO, “Many postpartum conditions cause considerable suffering in women’s daily life long after birth, both emotionally and physically, and yet they are largely underappreciated, underrecognised, and underreported.”
He reflects, “Throughout their lives, and beyond motherhood, women need access to a range of services from healthcare providers who listen to their concerns and meet their needs – so they not only survive childbirth but can enjoy good health and quality of life.”
More Attention Can Lead to Progress
Calling attention to these health concerns can help women receive the care they need. Medical professionals can prioritize care based on these findings and women can feel less stigmatized and more comfortable raising these concerns with their healthcare providers.
A recent CDC survey found that nearly half of respondents (44.7%) shared that they felt the need to hold back questions or concerns with their provider during prenatal visits. The survey also found that 1 in 5 American women reported experiencing mistreatment during prenatal consultations. Nearly a third claimed they faced discrimination based on factors such as age, weight, ethnicity, or income level.
The paper’s authors argue the need for a multidisciplinary health system that provides respectful and high-quality maternity services, along with postpartum screening assessments and prompt management of those at risk.
“To comprehensively address these conditions, broader health service opportunities are needed, which should extend beyond 6 weeks postpartum and embrace multidisciplinary models of care. This approach can ensure that these conditions are promptly identified and given the attention that they deserve.”