30 Million Sick, Premature Newborns Require Treatment Every Year

New Delhi: Nearly 30 million babies are born too soon, too small or become sick every year and need specialised care to survive, according to a new report released on Thursday by a global coalition that includes UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). The report ‘Survive and Thrive: Transforming care for every small and sick newborn’ found that among the newborn babies most at risk of death and disability are those with complications from prematurity, brain injury during childbirth, severe bacterial infection or jaundice, and those with congenital conditions.

Additionally, the financial and psychological toll on their families can have detrimental effects on their cognitive, linguistic and emotional development, it said. According to the report, without a specialized treatment, many at-risk newborns won’t survive their first month of life. In 2017, some 2.5 million newborns died, mostly from preventable causes. Almost two-thirds of babies who died were born prematurely. And even if they survive, these babies face chronic diseases or developmental delays, the report said. In addition, an estimated one million small and sick newborns survive with a long-term disability, it said.

In addition, almost 68 per cent of newborn deaths could be averted in 2030 with simple fixes such as exclusive breastfeeding; skin-to-skin contact between the mother or father and the baby; medicines and essential equipment; and access to clean, well-equipped health facilities staffed by skilled health workers. (IANS)

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