Final Report (PDF, 2132K) - Measure DHS

Table 6.3Mean Number of Children Ever Born, Surviving, andDead, and Proportion of Children Dead Among ThoseEver Born, by Age of Women, ODHS, 1986Mean Number of Children:Pro- NumberAge of Ever Sur- portion ofWomen Born viving Dead Dead Women15-19 0.08 0.07 0.01 0.080 110920-24 0.82 0.71 0.I0 0.124 56325-29 2.65 2.30 0.34 0.129 56030-34 4.65 3.84 0.80 0.173 54835-39 5.86 4.78 1.08 0.184 47840-44 6.53 5.06 1.47 0.225 47845-49 7.24 5.26 1.98 0.274 477Total 3.31 2.63 0.68 0.205 42136.2 Maternity CareIn order to obtain information on the type of prenatal care received by Ondo State women,respondents were asked if they saw anyone for a checkup during each pregnancy (resulting in a live birth)during the five years preceding the survey. Respondents were also asked if anyone assisted with thedelivery of each birth. If a prenatal checkup or assistance at delivery was received, they were asked whorendered the care. In cases where maternity care was rendered by more than one individual, the mostqualified of the providers was recorded by the interviewer. Nevertheless, it is pertinent to remark that inOndo State, relatives who render maternity services to their relations might not differ appreciably fromtraditional birth attendants (TBAs); relatives are unlikely to give birthing assistance unless they havereceived either '~formal" or "informal" training in such.Neonatal tetanus has been identified as a major cause of infant deaths in developing countries. Inthe ODHS, mothers were asked if they received an injection during pregnancy to prevent the baby fromgetting tetanus ("jerking"). The responses rely on the mother's recall of events during the pregnancy andon her ability to distinguish a tetanus toxoid vaccination from other injections she might have received.Still, the proportion of women receiving a tetanus toxoid vaccination during pregnancy provides a usefulmeasure for assessing the coverage of a community's maternal and child health services. It also providesa yardstick for estimating the number of pregnant women who attend maternity health centres and forwhom health education in other facets of primary health care could be delivered.57