6.1 INTRODUCTION
Save the Children
The birth of a baby is one of life’s most wondrous moments. Newborn babies have amazing abilities, yet they are completely depended on others for breast -feeding, warmth and comfort .Newborn is a continuum of the fetal life and a very important and vulnerable link in the chain of events from the conception to adulthood. The physical and mental wellbeing of an individual depends on the correct management of events in the perinatal period. The current neonatal mortality rate in India is of 45 per 1000 live births compared to 36 per 1000 live birth of global scenario, which accounts for nearly two thirds of infant’s mortality and half of under five mortality. Over one third of all neonatal death occurs in
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Over one-third of all neonatal deaths occur on the first day of life. Almost half within three days and nearly three fourth in the first week. The rate of neonatal mortality varies widely among the different states ranging from 10 per 1000 live births in Kerala to around 60 in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar together contributed to over half of all newborn tests in India in 20008.
The principal causes of infant mortality in India are low birth weight (57%), respiratory infections (17%), Diarrhoeal diseases (4%), congenital malformation (5%), and Cord infection (2%), Birth injury (3%) and unclassified about (18%) 9.
The essential neonatal mortality in the year 2000 is given below in some developed and developing countries. The neonatal mortality rate in India is 43 per 1000 live births, in Bangladesh 36 per 1000 lives, in Srilanka 11 per 1000 live births, in Pakistan 57 per live births, in Nepal 40 per 1000 live births, in China 21 per 1000 live births. In U.S.A 5 per 1000 live births and U.K 4 per 1000 live births10.
The main causes of neonatal mortality are intrinsically linked to the health of the mother at the care she receives before, during and immediate after giving birth. Asphyxia and birth injuries usually result from poorly managed labor and delivery and lack of access to obstetric
According to UNICEF, maternal mortality in Haiti is 35 women out of every thousand; neonatal healthcare is equally abysmal, with 3.1 percent of newborns dying within the first month after birth. Most of the maternal and neonatal deaths are considered largely preventable, given adequate healthcare resources. Accessibility to these resources is another important issue, with less than 36 percent of pregnant women giving birth in any healthcare facility.
There is a very low infant mortality rate, 2.8 in a thousand, and a relatively low birth rate as well, at 7.41 births in a thousand. However, the death rate, 9.83 deaths in a thousand, is
Infant deaths in the neonatal period are caused by complications arising from preterm births, birth defects, maternal health conditions, complications of labor and delivery, and lack of access to appropriate care at the time of delivery. Infant deaths in the post-neonatal period are driven by sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) (including sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS]), injury, and infection (MMRW, 2013). An increasing proportion of post-neonatal infant deaths occur among infants who were born preterm but survived the neonatal period (Callaghan, 2006). On the other hand there is lesser knowledge of the incidence and etilogy of fetal mortality which according to MacDorman et al, makes fetal mortality an overlooked public health issue. Lee et al, echoed the same idea when they said infant mortality has been the main focus of public health programming while fetal deaths have gone untargeted. However, with the decrease in infant mortality rates there have been recent approaches such as perinatal period of risk analysis framework (PPOR) that highlight the need to include fetal
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome remains the leading cause of post-neonatal mortality (under the age of one) in developed countries. The causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have been puzzling and research is being conducted to solve this catastrophic problem. Having a child under the age of one makes me very concerned, along with any other parent(s), that the possibility of SIDS could affect any infant at anytime, SIDS does not discriminate. I am seeking to find the possible causes to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome so in the future deaths could be avoided.
The U.S. infant mortality rate is 5.7 per 1000 births and 1.5 in Canada although has declined over the past several decades (O'Neill & O'Neill, 2007). Low-birth weight babies have a better chance at survival in the U.S. than in Canada due to advances in medical technology and expenditures on intensive care units (O'Neill & O'Neill, 2007). The reason there are more infant mortality rates in the U.S. is because there are more infants born weighing very little than compared to Canada.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death of an infant less than one year of age after having done a complete postmortem examination and investigation of the scene of death. There are no causes that have been found that make it clear as to why SIDS is so common. The rate of SIDS decreased dramatically when the Back to Sleep campaign was started to encourage parents and caregivers that infants were placed on their back while sleeping (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2015, p. 473). The most common ways that these deaths have occurred are the infant’s sleeping environments and their positioning. Research shows that infants that sleep in the prone position are most at risk
Herein I briefly overview the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) within the United States. Initially, I discuss specific causes of infant death and then, contributing factors which put babies at risk. Next, the distribution of various IMR is surveyed on a state to state basis. States possessing the ten highest infant mortality rates are discussed, including possible reasons for higher IMR. In addition, those states with the ten lowest IMR are mentioned. In conclusion, I consider preventative measures for minimizing the number of babies that die each year.
Economic growth has much improved the infant mortality rate though better healthcare facilities and living conditions. Japan has fallen to one of the world’s lowest infant mortality levels at 3.6 per 1,000 live births in 2006 (Saigusa, 2006). Infant mortality is largely affected by the health of the mother, which makes pre-natal health imperative in keeping infant mortality rates low. Since Japan offers health care to all, access to prenatal care is easier to get therefore making mothers healthier and help in finding complications earlier in the pregnancy.
In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services works tirelessly in order to improve the conditions for newborn infants. Their goal is to provide essential human services, as well as protect the health for all Americans. Specifically, the area of infant health focuses on the period of rapid development from birth to one year age. The factors that contribute to infant health is not only attributed to the child, but also extends to the health of the mother and their family support system as well. This area of healthcare is extremely important because it ensures the future health of the next generation. Infant health has many external factors, such as social, economic, and biological, that influence the well-being of the
Present data trends in infant mortality for the U.S. from the first and last available year.
Premature birth is a public health crisis because it is responsible for 75 percent of infant
Prematurity is the primary cause of increasing infants’ serious illnesses and deaths in the United States (CDC, December 2014).Preterm infants are more likely to have developmental delays, impaired cognitive growth, and behavioral problems as compared to their normal counterparts. Also, the expenditure for the care of premature babies is constantly increasing due to their extended stay in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Previous studies have estimated that the Average daily expense of NICU stay is over $ 3000 for each preterm infant (Muraskas& Parsi 2008). The longer the stay, more will be the cost. The length of NICU stay depends upon the gestational age and complications associated with prematurity. The
The WHO report (3) estimates there are slightly more than 59 million health care workers in the world. Of the 4.3 million shortages, India appears as one of the dozens of countries with a critical shortage of health care providers (4-6). A Critical shortage of health care providers means for every given birth, less than 80 percent have skilled birth attendants present. The data further suggests that a country must have between 2.02 and 2.54 skilled birth attendants (doctors, nurses, or midwives) per 1000 population to support growth and maintain a strong health care system. Estimates place India at 1.87 skilled birth attendants per 1000 population (7).
In 2013, 289 000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth and it was estimated that everyday 800 women all over the world died from childbirth or childbirth-related problems (World Health Organization, 2014). Often, maternal mortality is found to occur more often in developing countries than developed countries. Maternal mortality refers women who died from the situation like during pregnancy, termination of pregnancy within 42 days, regardless of duration and place of pregnancy, from aggravation caused by the pregnancy or pregnancy management (Nwagha et al, 2010). Maternal mortality may be resulted from direct or indirect cause. Direct causes are from obstetric complications of pregnancy, labour, and puerperium, and interventions whereas indirect causes are from the worsening of current conditions by pregnancy or delivery (Givewell, 2009). This paper aims to examine the causes for maternal mortality in both developed and developing countries and will end with a proposal for government to ensure women are given reproductive health rights.
The current death rate is 29 per 1,000 live births and of the 2.8 million newborns dying at birth worldwide, India accounts for 700,000 children dying at birth or shortly after. The National Health Policy to improve care children and women. Poor neonatal health conditions, widespread illiteracy, poverty, poor sanitation and nutrition have also been identified and India’s hopes to tackle these issues by passing this policy.