Maternity Benefits Research Articles

L’action publique et la fécondité – Aperçu d’une étude empirique du processus qui régit la première naissance au Canada

Studies on the relationship between state policy and fertility usually seek to evaluate the impact of one or more measures on fertility. This article does not aim to focus on the impact of one measure in particular, or of public measures as a whole, on fertility, but rather on the way in which Canadian couples that are likely to have a first child react to the environment created by the state and the labour market. We use data from a prospective longitudinal survey of households conducted by Statistics Canada - Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. We focus on couples in which both spouses are wage-earners before the birth of their first child. Our results show that few factors have a noticeable impact. The decision leading to the first birth appears to be governed by two different mechanisms - depending on whether or not the couple’s income is modest. When the family income is modest, the decision is based on the amount of recurrent financial support ; when the family income is average, the decision is based instead on the amount of maternity benefits that will compensate for the loss of income during maternity leave. In all cases, the female spouse’s permanent employment plays a decisive role. Ownership of the family residence also plays an important role. To sum up, the decision to have a first child appears to depend, above all, on the female spouse’s financial and employment circumstances and on the couple’s evaluation of what the family’s financial situation will be once the child is born.

Research issues in breastfeeding

Enough scientific evidence is available in favour of breastfeeding as the optimal way of providing nutrition to the newborn infants and the preferred way of feeding in the sick neonates. Global and national guidelines for infant feeding recommend initiation of breastfeeding with in one hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. However, it remains a challenge to implement these recommendations. There are several factors such as traditional practices, cultural beliefs, availability of skilled support to the lactating mother, commercial influence, maternity benefits, hospital practices, infant feeding in HIV positive mothers etc. which impacts successful breastfeeding. Though a variety of published literature is available on these subjects, there is a need to have more studies. This article is an attempt to highlight some of these issues.

‘I don't think it was such an issue back then’: changing experiences of pregnancy across two generations of women in south-east England

Based upon in-depth interviews with recent mothers and their own mothers in London, England, this article uses a cross-generational perspective to examine the changing experiences/perceptions of pregnancy over the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. Pregnancy is a biological process, but exists within social, economic, political and cultural realms and is both spatially and temporally located. In this article we argue that advances in gender equality, maternity benefits, technological innovation and mass media have meant that pregnancy is now increasingly experienced in the ‘public’ sphere, whereas, in earlier twentieth century Britain at least, it was often relegated to the realm of private or domestic life. However with these changes have come new types of surveillance in the form of scientific ‘advice’, medical technologies and media dissemination of cultural ‘norms’ regarding appropriate dress, lifestyle and behaviour during pregnancy. Based upon the findings of our research we examine these changes from two different perspectives: firstly a Foucauldian notion of surveillance in relation to ‘medical’ advice on diet/lifestyle during pregnancy, and secondly new expectations regarding body image and clothing in the context of the emergence of ‘pregnancy chic’ and the figure of the ‘celebrity mum’.

A share of new growth for children? Policies for the very young in non-EU Europe and the CIS

Economic collapse in the former communist bloc saw the erosion of financial support and services for young children. Since 1998 even the poorer countries of the bloc have seen a return to economic growth. But have the benefits been felt by children? Drawing on administrative and household survey data, this article examines three aspects of government support for young children — maternity benefit, child allowances and preschool provision — in four countries in different parts of the region: Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova and Tajikistan. The article concludes that these services remain vastly inadequate. In some countries child allowances are well targeted towards poorer households, but are too small in size to have an impact. Preschool overwhelmingly benefits urban families and the better-off, while paid maternity leave is increasingly rare. Given what is known about the long-term impact of both early education and early childhood poverty, the findings are of considerable concern.

Cash incentives for institutional delivery: Linking with antenatal and post natal care may ensure ′Continuum of care′ in India

The obstetrician, paediatrician and public health person alike may be happy by the fact that both maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) are showing signs of improvement in India. The latest census of India estimates on maternal mortality(1) sample registration system (SRS) 2004(2) reports and national family health survey (NFHS)-3(3) findings show that country, although, may not able to achieve the goals set in National Population Policy,(4) is at least making the progress in the right direction. While MMR has come down from 540/lac live births to 301/lac live birth, the IMR has reached at a national level of 57/1000 live births.(3) MMR had almost been static at that level for almost a decade with whole decade on 1990-2000 showing almost no improvement. The latest estimates based upon representative, re-sampled, routine household interview of mortality with Medical evaluation (RHIME) method(1) and gives the most reliable estimates so far, for the period of 1997-2003 and the findings are encouraging. However, unfortunately at this rate, India would not be able to achieve the goal of reducing the MMR by three fourth of 1990 level by 2015 as envisaged in Millennium development Goal (MDG) 5.(5) Attempts have always been made to understand the mechanism of maternal mortality in India and antenatal care (ANC), skilled birth attendance, and institutional deliveries have been identified as important contributor for reducing MMR. Therefore, the efforts to improve MMR have traditionally focused upon increasing access to health services delivery in India. National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)(6) has reduction in MMR as an important goal and carries many efforts in this direction. One such major strategy under NRHM is to provide cash incentives to the pregnant women, who attend antenatal clinics and opt for institutional deliveries. The scheme is known as ‘Janani Suraksha Yojna’ (JSY).(7) The JSY is the Hindi words which literally mean ‘Pregnant Women Safety Scheme’. To start with, JSY is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme with provision for cash assistance at delivery and in the post delivery period. The aim of this scheme is reducing maternal and neonatal mortalities by promoting institutional deliveries. This scheme has been modified from earlier National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS) and, is now being run as a part of NRHM. The NMBS was introduced in 2001 to provide nutrition support to pregnant women. Under this scheme below poverty line (BPL) pregnant women are given a onetime payment of Rs. 500/- 8-12 weeks prior to delivery.(8) Following the review of the implementation of this scheme and recommendations from that review, the JSY was planned. The scheme is specifically targeted at scheduled caste/scheduled tribes and poor population. The states have been stratified in low performing states (LPS) and high performing states (HPS) for cash incentives under this scheme with all 8 empowered action group states and Assam, Jammu and Kashmir termed as LPS. JSY has been planned so a women from LPS gets a cash incentive of Rs. 1000-1400 per institutional delivery. Mechanism for disbursement of this money is also elaborately described in the JSY document in practicable manner with good cash incentives for Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) too.(9) There is separate provision of Rs. 250/- for transport in case of emergency with another provision of Rs. 1500/- for caesarian delivery if needed. Furthermore, even after this, if a mother wants to deliver at home, she will be given a cash incentive of Rs. 500/- to meet the on delivery and post delivery expenses. The scheme has inbuilt mechanism of grievance redress, monitoring and feedback, ensuring that all the aspects of planning, implementation and management are covered under this scheme.(10)

Motherhood deterred: Access to maternity benefits in South Africa

abstract This Briefing considers women's access to maternity benefits in South Africa and its legal and social implications. Presently South African employers are not legally required to offer paid maternity leave. This and associated conditions of the present policy negatively affect mothers, families and children. It is argued that the present maternity leave policy is individualistic and materialist. It is also unconstitutional and discriminates against women and men. South Africa's maternity leave policy also does not compare favourably with developing countries in the global south. Drawing on the literature on motherhood, the authors call for a post-structural theory of motherhood, which takes into account African and local specificities. The Briefing argues that this approach will assist in the creation of a relevant and appropriate maternity leave policy in South Africa, one that considers both the law and justice. The experiences of mothers who have experienced the South African system are discussed and the Briefing concludes with recommendations regarding the improvement of maternity leave and thus increasing equality in South Africa.

Comparative perspectives on changes to Canada's paid parental leave: Implications for class and gender

In 2001, Canada extended the length of time parents could claim benefits. When combined with maternity benefits, a total of 50 weeks of benefits is available for qualifying parents. This places Canada at the forefront of liberal welfare regimes in benefits for new mothers and parents. However, an examination of the nature and impact of these changes suggests that they further exacerbate gender and class divisions in access to, and take‐up of, these benefits. A discussion of major trends in parental leave policies in Europe identifies the types of changes that are most likely to reduce the gender and class inequalities apparent in current policies.

Utilization of Pay-in Antenatal Leave Among Working Women in Southern California

Examine antenatal leave arrangements among pregnant workers in California, and the occupational, demographic and well-being characteristics associated with leave taking. Unlike most states, California provides paid pregnancy leave up to 4 weeks antenatally and 6-8 weeks postnatally. Weighted data from postpartum telephone interviews conducted between July 2002 and November 2003 were analyzed for 1214 women participating in a case-control study of birth outcomes in Southern California. Eligible women worked at least 20 h/week during the first two trimesters of pregnancy or through the date of prenatal screening. The overall response rate was 73%. Fifty-two percent of women took no leave, 32% took antenatal leave expecting to return to their job or employer sometime after giving birth, and 9% quit their jobs during pregnancy. For leave-takers with paid leave (69%), the state was the main source of pay (74%). Medical problems (52%) rather than maternity leave benefits (25%) were the most common stated reasons for taking leave. The strongest predictors of leave taking versus working through pregnancy were feeling stressed and tired (adjusted OR = 4.3, 95% CI [2.2-8.2]) and having young children (adjusted OR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.2-3.7]), followed by occupational factors (night shift, unfulfilling and inflexible work, short work tenure). Lack of employer-offered maternity leave benefits was associated with increased quitting relative to both leave taking and working through pregnancy. Maternity benefits influence quitting, but alone do not determine antenatal leave taking. Working pregnant women in California utilize leave cautiously and predominantly to cope with health problems, work dissatisfaction and fatigue.

Rescuing Children and Policing Families: Adoption Policy in Weimar and Nazi Germany

When the First World War ended, Germany experienced an unprecedented period of political revolution, economic turmoil, and social upheaval. Among the myriad problems facing the nation was one concern that cut across party lines and prompted attention at both the national and local levels. Lawmakers, doctors, clergy, and ordinary Germans across the political spectrum agreed that the breakdown of the family had weakened the nation, contributed to military defeat, worsened economic misery, and exacerbated societal conflict. High divorce and illegitimacy rates together with an alarmingly low birth rate created a picture of families in crisis. The belief was widespread that only by creating policies that strengthened families would Germany stand a chance of regaining its historical strength. Because both Weimar and National Socialist policymakers saw the family as essential to rejuvenating the battered nation, the interwar era witnessed a wide variety of family-directed policies. Social welfare, unemployment benefits, health insurance, and maternity benefits were just the beginning of a series of programs designed to strengthen Germany and support families. While state programs targeted many different groups within society, children stood out as especially worthy recipients. Policymakers in both the Weimar and National Socialist eras recognized that children, the most vulnerable members of society and the nation's future, required special attention.

Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: Population-based analysis of use in France over a three-year period and comparison with randomized clinical trials

The use of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors is highly controversial today, mainly because of doubts about cardiovascular tolerance. Few studies have assessed the use of these drugs in daily clinical practice. This study aims to assess the changes in their use in daily practice in France and to compare it with their use in randomized clinical trials. The French National Health Insurance Fund AMPI database of self-employed workers in non-agricultural occupations was used to obtain the following information: patients requesting reimbursement for celecoxib and rofecoxib between November 2000 and October 2003, morbidity assessed by enrollment on the lists of chronic diseases for which care is fully (100%) reimbursed, pregnancy (assessed by the payment of physicians' or hospital fees for delivery or by maternity benefits), and concomitant drugs (by claims for reimbursement). We compared these patients with those in randomized clinical trials (RCT) of celecoxib or rofecoxib published in either English or French before November 2003; we focused on their demographic characteristics, morbidity, pregnancy and concomitant drug use. Use of COX-2 inhibitors in France did not vary over the study period, except for patients' mean age (range: 64.2-62.9 years), proportion of women (56.7%-54.7%) and use of gastroprotective drugs (18.2%-28.4%). The mean age of patients in our study was 10 years older than that of RCT patients, and the proportion of women in our study was 15% lower. The percentage of women who took these drugs while pregnant was 0.02% in our study and 0.09% in the RCT. The percentage of patients with long-term chronic disorders overall was higher in our study than in the RCT, and the percentage for all specific long-term diseases except rheumatoid arthritis was also higher (for example, more patients had cardiovascular diseases or diabetes in our study [15%] than in the RCT [6%]). Patients in our study also used concomitant drugs from 9 of the 14 principal Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification groups more frequently than RCT patients: for cardiovascular drugs, for example, the figures were 55% and 5%, respectively. The demographic characteristics, prevalence of chronic morbidity and use of concomitant drugs among COX-2 inhibitor users in France varied little over the three years after marketing approval. Compared with RCT patients, these users were less often female, were older and more often had cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular events occurring among COX-2 inhibitor users in France should be evaluated.

Webwatch

Maternity rights and benefits have evolved in recent years and with the changes a variety of government, union and charity-funded websites have also developed. Midwives are often asked for advice on practical issues and the following websites contain useful information on the very specific rights that cover parents during and after pregnancy.

Commentary: On form, comparability, and levels in the income and health relationship

Based on information from the tax register. Total income is the sum of several different types of income. The following method of calculation is used: net income (according to the central government taxation rules) or basis for surtax on gross income (the highest amount for every individual in the household is selected). Included in total income are: student loans and grants from the state educational loan fund; housing allowance from the Norwegian national housing bank; family allowance; miscellaneous tax-free social security benefits (including basic benefit, supplementary benefit, maternity benefit, education grants, etc.); parents’ tax deduction; other transfers.

Ineligible for maternity benefits.

In my final year of a three-year diploma course in nursing studies I became pregnant. I completed the course and am now a fully qualified nurse.

A local study of childbearing Bangladeshi women in the UK

to examine the circumstances, experiences and needs of a local sample of low-income, childbearing women of Bangladeshi origin in the UK. qualitative interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire to obtain the interviewees' own accounts of the period around the birth of a baby. a deprived area in the City of Leeds in the North of England. nine women of Bangladeshi origin who were pregnant or had a baby under 1 year of age were interviewed as part of a larger study of the needs and experiences of 52 low-income, childbearing women. The nine women were recruited from a neighbourhood project set up to respond to the needs of Sylheti-speaking women with limited English fluency in the area. the women's constrained material circumstances limit their access to resources, services and good health. This is related to their limited education, qualifications and English fluency. The lack of an adequate income particularly affects families with new babies. However, their relatively positive experiences of maternity care and benefit claim, compared with women with similar characteristics in other studies, may be related to access to advice, support and concrete help offered by the neighbourhood project. social and health research, policy and practice might address information and support needs of low-income Bangladeshi women around the birth of a baby, and systematically take forward the idea of providing and evaluating integrated services, language support and advocacy between voluntary and state agencies.

The Effects of Mandatory Maternity and Pregnancy Benefits on Women's Wages and Employment in Taiwan, 1984–1996

The Labor Standards Law of Taiwan requires employers to offer maternity and pregnancy benefits. Because these requirements increase the cost to firms of employing young women, standard economic theory predicts that such workers will experience a relative decline in employment, wages, or both. Using data from Taiwan's Manpower Utilization Survey for the years 1978–96, the authors find that in those sectors of the economy covered by the legislation, wages and employment of young women did indeed fall relative to the wages and employment of two comparison groups, young men and older women.

Equity in the workplace: gendering workplace policy analysis

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 Theoretical Perspectives on Gender and Workplace Policy Chapter 4 Globalization, Gender and Work: Perspectives on Global Regulation Chapter 5 Policy Strategies in a Global Era for Gendered Workplace Equity Chapter 6 Institutionally Embedded Gender Models: Re-regulating and Breadwinner Models in Germany and Japan Chapter 6 European Gender Mainstreaming: Promises and Pitfalls of Transformative Policy Part 7 Implications of Gender in the Workplace Chapter 9 Parental Leave and Gender Equality: What Can the U.S. Learn from the European Union? Chapter 9 Career Advancement Choices of Female Managers in U.S. Local Government Chapter 10 An Assessment of Women's Acceptance as Breadwinners Chapter 11 The Employment Insurance Model: Maternity, Paternal, and Sickness Benefits in Canada Part 11 Reconciliation of Work and Family Life: Maternity, Parental, and Family Leave Chapter 12 Erosion of the Male-Breadwinner Model? Female Labor-Market Participation and Family-Leave Policies in Germany Chapter 13 Solving a Problem or Tinkering at the Margins? Work, Family and Caregiving Chapter 13 Globalization and Work/Life Balance: Gendered Implications of New Initiatives at a U.S. Multinational in Japan Chapter 14 Europeanizing the Military: The ECJ as a Catalyst in the Transformation of the Bundeswehr Part 17 Specific Applications of Workplace Policies: Gender in Equity in the Workplace Chapter 19 Implementing Sexual Harassment Law in the United States and Germany Chapter 20 Sexual Harassment Policies and Employee Preferences in Local U.S. Government

Do I have to be in a post for a certain period before I can claim for maternity benefit, or can I claim immediately I start my first senior house officer post?

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Changing fertility rates in developed countries. The impact of labor market institutions

During the last two decades fertility rates have decreased and have become positively correlated with female participation rates across OECD countries. I use a panel of 23 OECD nations to study how different labor market arrangements shaped these trends. High unemployment and unstable contracts, common in Southern Europe, depress fertility, particularly of younger women. To increase lifetime income though early skill-acquisition and minimize unemployment risk, young women postpone (or abandon) childbearing. Further, both a large share of public employment, by providing employment stability, and generous maternity benefits linked to previous employment, such as those in Scandinavia, boost fertility of the 25–29 and 30–34 year old women.

The Impact of Protective Measures for Female Workers

Policies designed to protect female workers have controversial effects on labor market outcomes, both in theory and in practice. The analysis uses repeated cross‐sections of household survey data for Taiwan to estimate the impact of working‐hours restrictions and maternity benefits. Differential coverage across industrial sectors and demographic groups provides a unique opportunity to identify the impact of both policies in a single natural experiment framework. While working‐hours restrictions have a negative impact on women's actual hours worked and employment, maternity benefits increase these labor inputs, implying that women value the opportunity to return to jobs they might otherwise have to leave.

Women Reconciling Paid and Unpaid Work in a Confucian Welfare State: The Case of South Korea

The participation of married women in the labour market has been increasing since industrialization in the 1960s in Korea; in 1999 it overtook that of unmarried women. This raises the issue of how women reconcile paid and unpaid work and how state policy responds to this issue. In Korea, there have been numerous policy reforms designed to support working women in combining work and family life. For example, a parental leave scheme was introduced in 1995 and maternity benefits were also introduced in 2001. However, it is doubtful whether these policies can be effective in practice in Korea, where Confucian traditions in respect of women's roles remain strong. Confucian tradition has long influenced Korean society culturally and socially. Although Korean society today is not as Confucian as in the past, some traditions still remain strong, particularly with regard to the family: for example filial piety, seniority, the married woman's responsibility for her parents-in-law. This paper will argue that Confucian tradition makes for difficulties in Korean women's experiences of reconciling paid and unpaid work and also affects the formation of state policy. The paper explores the impact of the Confucian welfare regimes on Korean women's experience of reconciling paid and unpaid care work, and questions the gendered characteristics of the Confucian welfare state.