Johns Hopkins University and University of Manitoba Faculty Awarded Grant to Study Prelacteals’ Impact on Neonatal Microbiome

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Bangladesh HNN Team

This article was originally published on Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s website here. In many countries, ritual foods, such as honey and animal milk, are commonly given to newborns before they are first breastfed or early in life. These foods, called prelacteals, may undermine the benefits newborns would otherwise receive from exclusive … Continued

AMR: The awful toll of superbugs in India’s hospitals

SciDev.Net India HNN Team

This article was originally published on SciDev.Net here. By: Ranjit Devraj The vigil for multidrug-resistant bugs is tight at the Holy Family Hospital, a charitable institution in the Indian capital known for its dedication to neonatal care. “We cannot afford to have newborns falling prey to difficult-to-treat bugs,” says Sumbul Warsi, medical director of the … Continued

This JHU team is developing tools to assess newborn health

Technically Baltimore Bangladesh, Uganda HNN Team

This news item originally appeared in Technically Baltimore here. A team from Johns Hopkins’ Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID) will be among the finalists presenting prototypes in D.C. as part of an event putting a spotlight on the role of hardware in social innovation. The NeMo Asssessment System, which has been in development … Continued

Three in four Rohingya refugee babies are born in unsanitary bamboo shelters

Save the Children Bangladesh HNN Team

Save the Children estimates after assessment in community of 20,000 expectant mothers need access to proper maternal care, says Save the Children FAIRFIELD, Conn. (June 3, 2019)—An estimated 75 percent of Rohingya babies are born in the unsafe and unsanitary bamboo shelters in which refugees live, based on an assessment by Save the Children. Home … Continued

The Taj Mahal becomes first Indian monument with breastfeeding room

Thomson Reuters Foundation India HNN Team

This story was originally published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation here. NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The Taj Mahal, built as a monument to a woman who died in childbirth, is set to get a baby feeding room in a first for India where conservative attitudes toward public breastfeeding mean nursing mothers are often … 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

Pneumonia: how the world’s biggest killer of children became a neglected disease

Telegraph UK Ethiopia, Nepal HNN Team

When two-year old Sienna Wilson suddenly developed a fever in the middle of the night the first thing her parents, Kate and David, suspected was malaria. When the doctor arrived in the morning he agreed. He began treating her accordingly. Hours later, unconscious and in a critical condition, Sienna was airlifted to a private hospital … 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

India Readies A New Cadre Of Certified Midwives To Improve Maternal, Infant Care

IndiaSpend India HNN Team

Karimnagar (Telangana) and Delhi: “As a nurse, we used to refer to mothers as patients. The first thing we learned as a midwife was to treat them as mothers and not patients,” said Jyothirmayee Akkaladevi, 35, as she rattled off a list of everything she had to unlearn to train as a midwife. Akkaladevi is … Continued