Brazilian babies born with Zika virus syndrome at greater risk of death in first three years of life than those born without (LSHTM)

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) News Brazil HNN Team

This article was originally published by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).  New study highlights urgent need for women of childbearing age to be protected from bites, and early intervention to improve babies’ chances of survival. Babies born with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), due to infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy, are … Continued

Nearly one in five babies in Brazil born ‘small’ and at risk of early childhood death

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine News (website) Brazil HNN Team

This article was originally published by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. New identification of small vulnerable newborns at higher risk of mortality could be a step towards preventing neonatal deaths. 18% of babies born in Brazil over seven years were born ‘small’ –  either preterm, small for gestational age (SGA) or with … Continued

Kenya’s first human milk bank finally ready to save babies’ lives

Daily Nation Kenya, South Africa, Brazil HNN Team

Had Alice Onyango given birth at another time, things would have been different. She would have had to express milk from her aching engorged breasts – the milk that her preterm baby had no energy to suckle – and pour it down the drain. But the mother of three gave birth last week at Pumwani … Continued

Midwives Are Essential to Global Health

United States of America, Brazil, India, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia HNN Team

By Jerker Liljestrand, Senior Program Officer of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Midwives have supported women during childbirth since ancient Egyptian times, and today, in many parts of the world, they are providing a unique set of lifesaving services for mothers and babies. Midwives are trained with a … Continued

Governments can prevent tragic death toll of mothers and babies

Nigeria, Nepal, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan HNN Team

Governments could substantially reduce the tragic death toll of infants and mothers by making postnatal care services more accessible – especially to impoverished and poorly educated women in rural areas, according to a study.

SickKids contributes to first International Standards to assess fetal growth and newborn size worldwide

Brazil, China, India, Kenya, United States of America HNN Team

The international standards – one for the growing fetus and the other for newborns – provide doctors and midwives with clinical tools that can be incorporated immediately into practice during pregnancy and at birth.

Born equal: Babies born to healthy mothers worldwide grow similarly in the womb and are of strikingly similar size at birth

Brazil, China, India, Kenya, United States of America HNN Team

Poor nutrition and health, not race or ethnicity, cause most of the current wide disparities in fetal growth and newborn size

Invisible children: birth registration is a prerequisite for equality

Nigeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Mozambique, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, Vietnam HNN Team

More than a third of children are not registered at birth, making it difficult for them to contribute to economic, social and political life. Could a new governance indicator bring change?

A Grand Challenges Grant Opportunity: Reducing the Burden of Preterm Birth

Brazil HNN Team

This partnership builds on Brazil’s strong and widely-recognized commitment to health equity, its extensive health system, and its robust research networks and manufacturing capabilities.