Gap in care: Findings from the ulpán valley of Guatemala

This study aimed to raise awareness of maternal, infant, and child health (MICH) risks in the Ulpán Valley of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Data were gathered in 2011 through systematic face-to-face home surveys of fifteen communities in the region and supplemented with community mapping exercises and focus groups. A questionnaire was used to survey female heads of household on a variety of health related topics including maternal and child health outcomes. Data analysis occurred in 2013 using IBM SPSS version 19. Due to the homogenous nature of the sample, statistical analyses were primarily descriptive. The findings provide a foundation for future analysis and interventions. Major results include lack of professional prenatal and postnatal care in the area, with only 40.59% of births being attended by skilled persons and 4.05% having no assistance in the birthing process. This is in contrast to 51.3% of births being attended by a professional in the country. Furthermore, 95.7% of births occurred at home with 6.1% reporting having received no care during their last pregnancy. Over 40% of respondents did not receive care within forty days following childbirth. Additionally, 39.74% of infants did not receive care within 40 days of birth. These gaps in coverage may contribute to the high under-five mortality rate in the area (72 per 1000). Recommendations to improve MICH in the Ulpán Valley include: further investigation of the problem, incentives for professionals to work in area clinics, concentrated midwife training programs, and community education on prenatal, birthing, and postnatal care.