Survey of North Korea's Maternal and Newborn Health Management through North Korean Defectors

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doi:2015.19.1.37

J Korean Soc Matern Child Health > Volume 19(1); 2015 > Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health 2015;19(1):37-46.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21896/jksmch.2015.19.1.37 Published online January 31, 2015.

Survey of North Korea's Maternal and Newborn Health Management through North Korean Defectors

김희숙¹, 박상민², 이혜원³

¹연세대학교
²서울대학교
³서울대학교 의과대학 건강사회정책실

북한이탈주민 설문조사를 통해 본 북한의 모성과 신생아 건강관리 실태

김희숙¹, 박상민², 이혜원³

¹연세대학교
²서울대학교
³서울대학교 의과대학 건강사회정책실

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this survey was to understand the current status of maternal and newbornhealth management child health in North Korea.
Methods
This survey was descriptive study based on data from North Korean defectors. A structuredquestionnaire was self-administered from May 1st to June 30th 2012. The participants wererecruited from North Korean defectors who were all over 20 years old in Seoul and Gwangju-si. The analyses focused on antenatal care, pregnancy care, delivery, emergency treatment and postpartumcare in maternal health. The data of child health got within newborn health, breastfeedingand vaccination.
Results
In the maternal health, a percentage of 61.8 had experience of antenatal care. The timingof the first antenatal contact was average 8.2 weeks. Doctor (45.5%), midwife (19.1%) and nurse(2.7%) were included as health care provider in antenatal care. Reported content of antenatal careduring pregnancy were hight/weight taken (29.1%), blood pressure (34.5%), urine analysis (51.8%) and blood analysis (37.3%). The majority of the women (67.3%) delivered at hospital, amountedto 32.7% of women delivered at home. A nurse/midwife assisted at 26.4 percent of the births whiledoctors assisted with the delivery of the remaining 38.4 percent of births. During labor, 38.2 percenthad serious emergency indications and needed to transfer recommending hospital. Moreover,40.5 percent could not get opportunity to move other hospital. Of the total participation, 30.9 percent had experience of postpartum care. In the child health, findings in healthy newborn infantswere 59.7 percent and hospital delivery (40.9%) was relatively high compared to home delivery(22%). Most of women (82.7%) breastfeed a baby more than one month. A percentage of 77.3received routine vaccination.
Conclusion
The survey investigated the key maternal and child health in North Korea. Thesebaseline data can be used to develop maternal and child health-improvement program. Overall,the findings will provide a unique opportunity to support North Korea from other institution andnon-governmental organization.

Key Words: North Korea, North Korean defector, antenatal care, postpartum care, newborn care