chapter 10 ·LOGIC TREES FOR SAFE MOTHERHOOD AND WELL-BABY CARE Ma. Corazon S. Maglay a and Araceli S. Maglaya INTRODUCTION Maternal and pediatric population groups comprise sixty percent (60%) or more of the total population of most communities. With emphasis on safe moth. erhood and well-child care, the rural health nurse or the nurse practitioner can be guided in handling mothers and babies as population groups using logic trees OD prenatal supervis ion, home delivery, postpartum care and well-baby care. The use of assessm ·ent and management protocols on safe motherhood and well­ baby supervision are critical options for improving access to quality health service and nursing care specially on enhancing wellness and improving competencies for handling population aggregates. THE USE OF LOGIC TREES Assessment and management protocols for safe motherhood and well-baby care have been developed by the authors based OD a long experience in general medical and episodic nu1·sing practice in the community. Each protocol focuses on a specific complaint, history or physical assessment data or a set of signs and symptoms. The assessment protocol specifies the appropriate history, physical examinatio n findings and other pertinen t data. These hea Jth assessment data are classified under red, yellow or green categories. The management protocol indicates el\-p]ic. it interventions to handle the case or situation, classified as Plan A, Plan B, Plan C or Plan D depending upon specific combination/s of red, yellow, or green health assessment data. The pi:otocol includes branching logic so that the assessmen t data obtained from a given patient or case and the appropriate management are "individualized" according to the patient's signs, symptoms or experiences. This chapter includes Logic Tree protocols on pregnancy, home delivery, postpartum, newborn and well-baby care. 247 