Pregnant girls and women are referred to maternity services or Midwife Obstetric Units (MOUs) in urban areas, and satellite or fixed clinics in the rural areas. MOUs are birthing units run by midwives in the community for primary healthcare patients.
Mothers can deliver at fixed clinics or Midwife Obstetric units, which are run by midwives in the community for primary healthcare patients. If complications arise during birth then they will be transferred to a hospital up the line.
It is estimated that 150 000 children born annually in South Africa are affected by a significant birth defect or genetic disorder by the age of five years.
Post natal services become available after the mother and her newborn have been discharged from the MOU or clinic. This usually happens six hours after the birth if both mother and baby are in good health.
Women and girls whose menstrual periods are one or more weeks late are advised to have a pregnancy test. These tests are free at primary health clinics and other health facilities. However, they are not always available.