Fetal health and postpartum care together span the wellbeing of the developing fetus during pregnancy and the medical and supportive care of mother and infant in the period following birth, forming a continuum central to safe motherhood and healthy child development. Fetal health concerns the growth, development, an…
Fetal health and postpartum care together span the wellbeing of the developing fetus during pregnancy and the medical and supportive care of mother and infant in the period following birth, forming a continuum central to safe motherhood and healthy child development. Fetal health concerns the growth, development, and surveillance of the fetus, the identification and management of complications, and the conduct of delivery, while postpartum care addresses maternal recovery, newborn wellbeing, and the establishment of feeding and bonding. The mode and outcome of delivery are key determinants of maternal and fetal health, as illustrated by analyses of the rate and outcomes of cesarean delivery in resource-limited settings, and the quality of obstetric care can be strengthened through skills training such as life-support-in-obstetrics programs. Maternal conditions, including hematologic disorders such as sickle cell and compound hemoglobinopathies presenting in pregnancy, and rarer complications, can affect both mother and fetus and require careful management. Antenatal care utilization is fundamental to monitoring and risk reduction, and its level and determinants shape outcomes across the perinatal period. The postpartum phase encompasses support for breastfeeding and perceived milk adequacy, attention to maternal mental health, including postpartum depression and its psychological correlates, and care following pregnancy loss. Integrating fetal surveillance with comprehensive postpartum support is therefore essential to improving maternal and infant health.
8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 8 articles above have been cited 45 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Fetal Health and Postpartum Care, linking to each citing work.