Abstract

PIP: The high rates of infant, child, and maternal mortality and morbidity observed in many developing countries could be decreased through the provision of adequate family planning services. Poor women in developing countries, compared to women in industrialized nations, have poor health statuses and little or no access to health care. In addition, they endure frequent pregnancies throughout their reproductive life spans. Closely spaced births do not give these women's bodies an opportunity to recuperate from the strains of pregnancy, and these drained women are further burdened with the task of caring for large families. Many women in developing countries subject themseleves to the riskse associated with illegal abortion in order to avoid another unwanted pregnancy. Maternal mortality rates in come countries are as high as 1000/100,000 live births, 2/3 of all pregnant women in developing countries (excluding China) suffer from nutritional anemia, and 200,000 women die each year from illegal abortions. Closely spaced births and childbearing during the late and early phases of the reproductive life span enhance, not only the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity, but the risk of infant and child mortality and morbidity. Children born after a birth interval of 1 year or less are 2 times more likely to die than children born after a birth interval of 2 or more years. Compared to infants born to women aged 20-35 years, infants born to women under 20 years of age have a higher risk of premature birth, and those born to women over 35 years of age have a greater risk of death and of birth defects. The provision of family planning services would also help couples overcome infertility problems and provide women with an opportunity to pursue educational and employment goals. The decline in breastfeeding in developing countries increases the need to provide family planning services. Breastfeeding delays the return of fertility following delivery. As breastfeeding declines, birth intervals are expected to increase unless contraceptives are made more widely available. There is a high unmet meed for family planning developing countries, especially among rural and isolated populations. Approximately 300 million women who want no more children do not currently practice contraception. There is also a high unmet need in all countries of the world for more effective and safer contraceptive methods.