European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: In any community, mothers and children constitute a priority group. In sheer numbers, they comprise approximately 71.14% of the population of the developing countries. In India, women of the childbearing age (15-44 years) constitute 22.2% and children under 15 years of age about 35.3% of the total population. Together, they constitute nearly 57.5% of the total population. Mothers and children not only constitute a large group, but they are also a ‘vulnerable’ or special-risk group. The main aim of MCH Services remains to ensure that, throughout pregnancy and puerperium, every mother maintain optimal health, and at the end of pregnancy, a healthy mother and a healthy baby and promote the child health throughout the infancy and childhood.