Prospects for Reducing Maternal and Infant Mortality: A Survey on Generative Themes in Relation to Maternal and Infant Mortality in Workshops with Women From a Social Movement

Infant and maternal mortality remains a major challenge to public health in Brazil although there is evidence for the decrease in maternal deaths as well as the infant mortality rate in Brazil. In 2002 the rate of maternal death in Brazil was 54.3 / 100,000 live births (LB) with variations among the various regions, while infant mortality from 47.1 / 1000 births in 1990 to 19.3 / 1000 births in 2007; these rates show significant regional differences despite the decrease.

The objective of this study was to identify issues regarding generative themes on maternal and infant mortality workshops with women from a social movement in Ceilândia-DF, in order to incorporate them into the training course for multipliers.

The methodology used was the Workshop on Group Dynamics with the women’s social movement in which the cognitive, emotional and psychosocial dimensions were taken into consideration, aiming at understanding the subject in its entirety, enhancing their effective participation in the process of knowledge construction and transformation of reality. During the workshops the participants reflected on the importance of the theme for the territory in which they are established and discussed the reality of health care services for maternal and child health in their community. As a result of the workshops, the speech of the group pointed to the incipience of the actions of the local Family Planning Program and Pre-Natal Care, the weaknesses identified in the relationship between health professionals / users, a high proportion of teenage pregnancy, and unawareness of the population in relation to risk factors.

Therefore, we found that comprehensive and constant training of health professionals associated with investments in primary care and strengthening of social control are appointed as the potential pathways for maternal and child health services which may contribute to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality.