Expectant mothers reminded of importance of Maternal and Child Health Book
Expectant mothers have been urged to visit the hospital immediately they conceive for their information to be captured in the Maternal and Child Health Record Book (MCHRecord Book), to improve communication between them and healthcare providers.
The MCHRecord Book is a family health record for mothers, newborns and children as the book plays a vital role between mothers and healthcare providers.
It also serves as a point of commonality and directional path, that supports the efforts of both as they work towards establishing an effective relationship, as a tool of practice, and as a means of building strength within families.
The Greater Accra Regional (GAR) Nutrition Officer, Mrs Faustina Vimariba Tour,who said this at a media workshop in Accra on Friday, added that the book contained all the necessary information required for antenatal and postnatal services.
For that, she noted that all expectant mothers were to use the same record books to achieve the same purpose.
Mrs Tour also indicated that the MCH Record Book included all the relevant information and data concerning the mothers’ progress during pregnancy, state of delivery, immunisation records and health check-up records for their children.
She said the book was designed to deliver essential MCH and nutrition messages to mothers and caregivers.
The GAR Nutrition Officer further said the book was designed to link the health records of mothers to their children from pregnancy till the child attained the age of five.
She said that the book was also to deal with issues including nutrition, growth monitoring and promotion, and health education in a more focused and illustrative way.
Mrs Tour said the MCH Record Book was also aimed at promoting, protecting and maintaining the health of the mother during pregnancy.
“It helps to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate and teaches mothers regarding the child care, personal hygiene and environmental sanitation” she added.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
