Mothers in an urban township in Zambia

During a 16-week period in early 1985 the authors identified 249 women who delivered 257 babies in the maternity unit of the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia, and were resident in an urban township to the northwest of the capital. The mothers were followed at their home from delivery for one year. In this article, a description is presented of the mothers in respect of age and parity, child loss in relation to parity, birth interval, breastfeeding, educational level of the mothers and their husbands, parental support for the family, mobility of mothers and baby, and maternal anthropometry. Amongst others it was found that the cost of food makes it difficult for mothers to provide a good weaning diet. Incomes of most families were, moreover, insufficient, and half the mothers worked, usually by selling food at the market or outside their homes. Recommendations are made on the collection of vital statistics, the maintaining of risk registers and the training of community health workers, as well as on the provision of subsidized weaning foods. Ref., sum.