Kadın Yoksulluğu ve Gebeliğe Etkileri
Female Poverty and its Effects on Pregnancy

Author(s): Sevilay Aydın, Melike Dişsiz, Dilek Bingöl
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Social differentiation, Health and medicine and law
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Poverty; health; pregnancy; nursing;
Summary/Abstract: Poverty refers to a situation that includes not only lack of income and physical resources, but also social exclusion, unjust distribution of available resources, and powerlessness. The fact that women are more affected by poverty than men has led to the emergence of the concept of “female poverty.” Women struggling with poverty experience health problems due to adverse conditions such as difficulties in accessing health services, nutritional deficiencies, and low levels of education. This study reviews studies examining the effects of poverty on pregnancy. Poverty leads to problems such as inadequate nutrition before and during pregnancy, anemia, premature birth, and preeclampsia in the mother, and intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight in the baby. In addition, factors such as lack of access to health services, inadequate immunization, unhealthy birth conditions, and high levels of smoking and alcohol use negatively affect both maternal and fetal health. Factors such as stress, low levels of education, unemployment, lack of social support, and domestic violence increase the risk of perinatal depression in poor women. Early diagnosis of pregnancy, determination of risks, provision of adequate nutrition, completion of immunization, prevention of anemia with folic acid and iron supplements, protection and maintenance of mental health are critical to reduce maternal and infant mortality.

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