**24. Conclusion**

Contemporary global health care has over the years increasingly recognized the need to uphold and promote the sexual and reproductive rights of individuals, especially women, which has been perceived to be an important prerequisite to national development (Adinma and Adinma, 2009; Adinma and Adinma, 2011). It has therefore become absolutely compelling that health professionals caring for women imbibe and observe strict ethical principles in all aspect of reproductive health care of women. In particular, obstetrics care, on account of its exclusiveness for women and the wide range of physical, psychological and social issues, sometimes cross –cutting, that may be associated with the process, from conception to parturition, requires that the health professional be vast with various ethical and human rights challenges associated with every step in obstetrics care.

In countries not already doing so every effort should be made towards including, or broadening the scope, of bioethics in the curriculum of studies of health professionals caring for women, both at under-graduate and post-graduate levels. Furthermore it is necessary to develop human rights based bioethical codes that will guide such health professionals in their day to day obstetrics practice and ensure that the ethical codes are appropriately disseminated

Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of haemopoietic stem cells that is used in the treatment of diseases such as leukemia. It can therefore be collected, pooled and stored in core blood bank to be dispensed when required, usually on commercial bases. Maternal consent to the collection of umbilical cord-blood is ethically required. Early clamping of the umbilical cord has been shown to be capable of reducing the new born circulating blood volume by 30% and tripping the newborn into circulatory disturbance. Enlisting maternal consent to cord blood collection should therefore be preceded by the assurance of the mother that the

Resuscitation and care of the new born requires that the physician considers the welfare of the individual new born within the context of the ethical principle of respect for persons albeit incapable of autonomy, who should therefore be protected. The parents who constitutes the rightful surrogate of the child should be adequately informed as to the diagnosis and prognosis of the child's condition, for example, the severely preterm infant to

Gender, religious, ethnic and financial considerations should not influence decisions on the treatment of the new born. The physicians counseling and advice to the parents on treatment decision for the newborn should be based on accurate knowledge of the facts and statistics on the prognosis following the treatment of the condition, and in most circumstances, after due consultations with other members of the health team including a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist. Where there is disagreement between the physician and the parents independent adjudication may be sought for and where necessary, the view of the health facility's ethical committee. Following the death of the infant, permission should be sought from the parents for the conduct of a post mortem examination on the deceased new born, to confirm the definitive cause of death and provide more information

Contemporary global health care has over the years increasingly recognized the need to uphold and promote the sexual and reproductive rights of individuals, especially women, which has been perceived to be an important prerequisite to national development (Adinma and Adinma, 2009; Adinma and Adinma, 2011). It has therefore become absolutely compelling that health professionals caring for women imbibe and observe strict ethical principles in all aspect of reproductive health care of women. In particular, obstetrics care, on account of its exclusiveness for women and the wide range of physical, psychological and social issues, sometimes cross –cutting, that may be associated with the process, from conception to parturition, requires that the health professional be vast with various ethical

In countries not already doing so every effort should be made towards including, or broadening the scope, of bioethics in the curriculum of studies of health professionals caring for women, both at under-graduate and post-graduate levels. Furthermore it is necessary to develop human rights based bioethical codes that will guide such health professionals in their day to day obstetrics practice and ensure that the ethical codes are appropriately disseminated

umbilical cord will not be clamped early, to prevent hazard to her new born.

enable them make appropriate decision and consent to the treatment of the child.

for further counseling of the parents particularly for future births.

and human rights challenges associated with every step in obstetrics care.

**24. Conclusion** 

**23. Cord-blood collection and new born care** 

for application by health professionals already in obstetrics practice. These health professionals will also benefit from periodic workshops and seminars on bioethics as part of their continuing medical education. Health professionals also have an obligation to guide governments and policy makers towards the development of human rights and ethics – friendly policies and programmes that will invariably promote obstetrics care and overall safe motherhood.
