[Maternal and Child Health and Perinatal Mental Health: an area of improvement in Spanish Healthcare].

Abstract

Although the right to enjoy the highest level of mental and physical health that can be achieved is a universal human right, it has not been until very recent stages that mental health has begun to gain the relevance it deserves . Attention to maternal and child health exemplifies the limitations of the Spanish Health Service to offer comprehensive care that includes the dimension of mental health. For years, the main objective has been to combat preventable maternal mortality, practically eradicated in our country thanks to its health benefits . However, the enjoyment of health cannot be limited to achieving the survival of mothers and their babies, and good maternal health necessarily implies good perinatal mental health.