Maternal Health Matters

If we had a technology that could detect a higher risk for PPH, we could save lives. This is because a major problem with PPH is quick and accessible treatment during delivery. If at risk individuals were monitored and given supplements, the amount of lives lost would decrease dramatically. Sara and former students from the design class have worked on a blood test for predicting PPH. This technology could be revolutionary in developing nations. Follow up with this technology/test is needed.

Quantifying blood loss is both challenging and controversial. In rural areas, where births occur in the home rather than a clinic, blood loss is rarely monitored. In hospitals, blood loss is often lied about in order to avoid insurance “issues.” We are unsure of how to combat these issues, but early detection would also prevent this from being as large of a problem.

Ethical research, cultural research, and even research based on uncertainty / anxiety is necessary to investigate potential problems regarding treatment options. Look into the failures of NGOs when implementing a program providing treatment options in developing countries. Also, Mari recommends that you look into the uncertainty of using tamponades and see if the uncertainty correlates with the lack of or infrequent training. From there, a possibility to develop a training course / program can emerge if the data supports it.