Aim: The aim of this review article is discussed progress about maternal and neonatal health in Turkey.
Decreasing maternal and neonatal mortality is a global priority especially in developing countries. According to WHO
2005, Turkey is a middle-income country.
Methods: Using method is to investigate of politics of Ministry of Health and other ministries in Turkey. The
policies that affect the health of Turkish Republic Ministry of Health and other ministries have examined and
discussed based on the literature.
Findings: According to this investigate; the total fertility rate as 2.08 births per woman is still high.However,
women's age at marriage andfirst childbearing agehas been made greatprogress in the last 10 years. The average
marriage age is found as 20.8 years of age. 1/5 of the marriages are consanguineous marriages. First childbearing
age is 22.3 years of age. 73.7% of pregnant women receive antenatal care from physician, midwives or nurses, but
the rate varies significantly according to geographic regions which are 89.5% of pregnant women in the west region.
According to Turkish Statistical Institute (2011), maternal deaths decreased to 15.5 per 100,000 pregnant. Neonatal
mortality rate decreased to 4.6 in 1,000 live deliveries. In 2011 by the Ministry of Health, "Vitamin-D
Supplementation Program for Pregnant Women" was initiated. Working night shifts of women after birth is prohibited
for a year. Pregnant or breast-feeding women cannot work for more than seven and a half hours a day. A nationwide
newborn screening program for phenylketonuria (PKU) was started in 1986. Screening for congenital hypothyroidism
was initiated at the end of 2006, and screening for biotinidase was initiated in 2008.
Conclusion: Turkey has recently achieved a good trend toward decreasing maternal and neonatal mortality.The
decrease in these rates thought to be because of the rise in marriage age and childbearing age, majority of the
births are being done by the help of medical staff and the drastic changes in health care system.