Diet Mail Diet Mail - May 2014, Mother's Day Special | Page 2

Mother s Day
11th May 2014

Director Speak

Mothers don’t quite make the world go ‘round, but and to define the best treatment when complications do
sometimes it seems like that’s one of their occur. Nevertheless some mothers still die, and these
responsibilities.

deaths are all the more shocking because they are now

Scientists have done so many studies about the role of so uncommon. It is our duty to learn all we can from such
mothers and the effects of their actions on their children tragedies.
that making the world go ’round seems easy in
comparison. The importance of mothers and mothering We are concerned that the maternal mortality rate has
is not something scientists discovered. Cultures have not fallen in recent years. This is partly due to the
long acknowledged it. Our literature is full of adages and changing nature of our mothers’ overall health. In
proverbs from nearly every culture or country on Earth. general, the women who died appeared to be in poorer
A Jewish proverb claims, “God could not be everywhere general health and smoked more, and over half were
so he made mothers.” An Arabic proverb expands on overweight or obese. Many also had chaotic lifestyles
that point, “The mother is a school; if she is well-reared,

and found it hard to engage with maternity services.

you are sure to build a nation.”
There is a need for wider awareness of risk factors and
And throughout the centuries, mothers have always
stepped into those roles, defining them according to
their children’s — and community’s — needs.
Sometimes mothers tended the home front and
sometimes they changed society.
Mothers have an important role to play in the raising of
our children; however they chose to play it. They can
take the lead, but they can’t do it alone. There’s a reason
they also say it takes a village to raise a child.
Having a baby is a joyous and fulfilling experience and,
nowadays, a safe one for the great majority of women.

early signs and symptoms of problems which may be
crucial in pregnancy. The broad range of specialties
reflect the teamwork required in modern maternity
care. The team also includes the woman herself.
Saving Mothers’ Lives has important messages for
everyone involved in maternity care. It is essential that
we do not become complacent. This can be prevented in
future only if lessons are learned and acted upon, and
the process begins here.

This safety has been hard won. It is the result of many
years of painstaking work to identify and reduce risks,
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