Joy after a frightening preterm delivery in Liberia

UNFPA Liberia HNN Team

This article was originally published by UNFPA here. Out of nine pregnancies, Anna Bondo had suffered seven stillbirths, each one a crushing heartbreak. Every loss came as a result of premature labour, the 43-year-old told UNFPA. Last month, pregnant for the tenth time, Ms. Bondo once again went into an early labour. She immediately feared … Continued

Kenya hopes its first human milk bank will save infants’ lives

Quartz Africa Kenya HNN Team

This article was originally published by Quartz Africa here. By Annabelle Timsit Every morning at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi, a group of new mothers files into a spacious room housing Kenya’s first human milk bank. The room, freshly-painted aqua blue and bustling with nurses, is lined on either side with private lactation booths separated … 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

Most Pregnancies Last 9 Months. Why Is the Deadliness of Childbirth Still Taking Us by Surprise?

Global Citizen Ethiopia, Haiti, Philippines, Liberia HNN Team

Vaccines help to dramatically reduce maternal and neonatal deaths. Article by Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Measles, cholera, and diphtheria can kill quickly and without any warning. Yet with childbirth we get nine months’ notice, and it still kills more people every year than these three diseases combined. It’s not just … Continued

Kangaroo Mother Care units in Govt Hospitals give every newborn a chance at life

KnockSense India HNN Team

The launch of 101 Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) lounges took place on 6th March, at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow. In the past year, 69 KMC lounges were successfully established across districts in UP, taking the total tally of KMC lounges to 170. This was done under the leadership of, Prof. Rita Bahuguna Joshi (UP’s Minister … Continued

WHO publishes new estimates on congenital syphilis

World Health Organization HNN Team

Global decrease but cases remain high, causing 200 000 stillbirths and newborn deaths every year 27 February 2019: New estimates published today show that there were more than half a million (around 661,000) total cases of congenital syphilis in 2016, resulting in over 200,000 stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Syphilis is one of the most common … Continued

Newborn Deaths in India Can Be Averted by 2030 with Stronger Health Systems

Tech2 India HNN Team

In December 2018, the Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) was released in India, with efforts and contributions from many stakeholders involved in maternal and child care. The plan brought alarming statistics on newborn care to the forefront. Over 30 million babies are born too soon, too small or become sick every year and need specialized … Continued

500 years after Leonardo da Vinci wondered why babies are born preterm, we still have no idea

Quartz HNN Team

In one of his texts in his Trattato della Pittura (Treatise on Painting), Leonardo da Vinci set out to understand the functioning of the human body in order to be able to draw it correctly, from the inside out. Among the aspects da Vinci wanted to understand were “[w]hat forces [the fetus] out from the … Continued

WHO-recommended newborn care cuts life-threatening infections by two thirds: study

XinhuaNet Vietnam HNN Team

MANILA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) — Hospitals can now reduce life-threatening infections in newborns by over two thirds and admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by one third by implementing Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC), a newborn care recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). A study in Vietnam by the WHO published in … Continued

A new lease of life: How Bempu’s innovative wristband is saving thousands of babies

The Economic Times India HNN Team

India may have crossed many milestones on its way to arresting infant mortality rates, but there is still a long way to go. While the reasons may be many and varied, neonatal hypothermia is known to affect about one-third of children in India. “Children born with low birth weight – those under 2.5 kg – … Continued