Is India’s Healthcare System Failing Premature Babies Even Before They Are Born?

First Post India HNN Admin

An estimated 15 million babies are born too early every year, or in other words, preterm (before 37 completed weeks of gestation). That is more than 1 in 10 babies. Approximately 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth. Many survivors face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual … Continued

2 million Chinese mothers carry strep bacteria that can be fatal to newborns, study finds

South China Morning Post China, India HNN Admin

Nearly 2 million pregnant women in China are estimated to be carrying a strain of bacteria that can cause severe health problems or even prove fatal to newborn babies, according to an international study. The figure represents about 11 per cent of total annual births in China, and puts the country second globally in the … Continued

Better data and health worker training may cut stillbirths: study

The Hindu Business Line India HNN Admin

Stillbirth, which is defined as a baby born without life at or after 28 weeks gestation, is one of the major problems facing the health sector across the world. It is estimated that about 26 lakh stillbirths occurred globally every year and India accounted for the largest proportion with 5.9 lakh cases. While the number … Continued

State Of Newborn In India

the india saga India HNN Admin

By Aarti Dhar India contributes to one-fifth of global live births and more than a quarter of neonatal deaths. Nearly, 0.75 million neonates died in India in 2013, the highest for any country in the world. The current Neonatal Mortality Rate is 28 per 1000 live births. Given the infant and under-five child mortality rates of … Continued

The low-cost device saving newborns in India

The Guardian India HNN Admin

Birth asphyxia – lack of oxygen – is the cause of 20% of newborn deaths in India. A simple piece of equipment is helping revive babies and prevent long-term damage Farzana Qureshi’s happiness over a smooth and uncomplicated pregnancy ended abruptly the day she went into labour. Tired by the end of eight hours of … Continued

India grants Pfizer patent on pneumonia vaccine in blow to aid group

Reuters India HNN Admin

MUMBAI (Reuters) – India has granted Pfizer Inc a patent for its powerful pneumonia vaccine Prevenar 13, in a blow to some health groups that said this would put the treatment out of reach of thousands in poorer nations. The decision by India’s patent office bars other companies from making cheaper copies of the vaccine … Continued

From Planning Commission To Niti Aayog: Life comes a full circle for Dr Vinod Paul

The Indian Express India HNN Admin

From a member of the High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage formed by the erstwhile Planning Commission to becoming the first medical expert member of its successor, the Niti Aayog, life has come a full circle for Dr Vinod Paul. A neonatologist, Paul headed AIIMS’s paediatrics department for many years. He has been … Continued

These Chennai Mothers Donate Their Milk To Unknown Infants Who Need It The Most

India Times India HNN Admin

For the past few months, Sharanya Govindarajalu has been helping save lives in a way only a new mother can – by donating her breast milk. Five days a week, the 32-year-old mother of a seven-month-old sends 100ml to 150ml of her breast milk to a neonatal hospital so it can be used to feed … Continued

The Tiny Bracelet That Saves Newborns from Hypothermia

The Development Set India HNN Admin

 A new battery-powered device beeps when a premature baby’s temperature drops, alerting parents to care for them “Low birth weight newborns need special care and attention because they can easily become hypothermic,” said neonatologist Dr. Jagadish Somanna, a research associate at IGICH. Hypothermia is a condition where a baby’s core temperature falls below 36.5 C … Continued

India Part of Health Network to Reduce Maternal, Newborn Deaths

India-West India HNN Admin

India is among nine countries that have created a United Nations agencies-supported health network to significantly reduce maternal and newborn deaths in health facilities. The countries’ governments have pledged to halve the deaths at facilities by 2022, according to a U.N. news release. The other countries in the health network include Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, … Continued