Abstract

LOZANO-AVENDANO, Leidy; BOHORQUEZ-ORTIZ, Alix Zoraida  and  ZAMBRANO-PLATA, Gloria Esperanza. Family and social implications of maternal death. Univ. Salud [online]. 2016, vol.18, n.2, pp.364-372. ISSN 0124-7107.

Introduction: Maternal mortality is considered a sensitive indicator of social development, as many of these deaths occur for preventable reasons, linked to poverty. There is statistical data on the number of internationally and locally maternal deaths, which highlights the magnitude of the problem as well as the scientific knowledge of the causes of these deaths; but there is limited published information on the family impact and imbalance that occurs when a maternal death occurs, which leads to lack of knowledge about the real situation of orphaned children and family. Objective: To know the family and social implications of maternal death through a systematic review of the published scientific literature. Materials and methods: A search in the databases including LILACS, PROQUEST, MEDLINE services and virtual health library SCIELO was conducted. The final sample consisted of 20 articles. Results: The studies showed that the unexpected loss of the mother generates emotional, economic and health consequences for all household members. Conclusions: The findings indicate that this problem must be addressed comprehensively in order to mitigate the impact generated by maternal death.

Keywords : Maternal death; orphans; family relations; mental health; vulnerable children; fatherless family.

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