Abstract

ALONSO BULA ROMERO, Javier  and  GALARZA, Keiner. MATERNAL MORTALITY IN THE PREGNANT WAYÚU WOMEN OF URIBIA, DEPARTMENT OF LA GUAJIRA, COLOMBIA. DESCRIPTIVE STUDY 2016. Enfermería [online]. 2017, vol.6, n.1, pp.46-53. ISSN 1688-8375.  https://doi.org/10.22235/ech.v6i1.1369.

The trend of maternal mortality rate in the municipality of Uribia, Department of Guajira, Colombia, has shown a dizzying increase. Although there are efforts to improve the coverage of childbirth occurring in institutions of the municipality, home deliveries, which are a normal cultural practice in indigenous populations such as the Wayúu, remains, for various reasons, the first option for a significant number of Wayúu women. This cultural practice exposes women to complications during childbirth care, which, if not sent to a hospital in time, can result in maternal death. The objective of the present study was to describe the behavior of maternal mortality in the pregnant Wayúu of the municipality of Uribia in the period between January 1st, 2010 and December 31, 2016. The results of this study show how traditional practices of childbirth, the difficulty of access to health services and the mother´s age are factors that contribute to increase the maternal mortality rate and this, in turn, reveals the social and health vulnerability to which this indigenous community is exposed. The study also concluded that postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) was the main cause of maternal mortality in the pregnant woman Wayuu of the municipality of Uribia, during the period studied. Home care at the delivery, performed by mothers, grandmothers or older sisters, can be a trigger for this type of obstetric complications that, if not addressed properly, can lead to the death of the mother.

Keywords : Maternal Mortality; Pregnant Women; Cultural Characteristics; Health of Indigenous Peoples.

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