What do newborns die from? Which are the worst places to be an expectant mother?
LONDON (AlertNet) - One in three women - or 48 million globally - give birth without the help of a midwife, aid agency Save the Children in a report published on Friday.
Here are some facts and figures taken from the "Missing Midwives" report:
What do newborn babies die from?
The three biggest killers of newborn babies in the first month are:
1. complications arising from prematurity, for example, breathing difficulties due to underdeveloped lungs, or feeding difficulties due to an under-developed digestive system (28 percent)
2. asphyxia, when a baby is deprived of oxygen during delivery and is more likely to need resuscitation when it is born (23 percent)
3. sepsis, an infection of the blood (15 percent)
Midwives can save lives by providing:
1. Intermittent preventive antimalarial treatment for pregnant women in areas with high incidence of malaria – to treat and prevent malaria, which interferes with the flow of oxygen and nutrients through the placenta to the baby
2. Syphilis detection and treatment for pregnant women – to reduce the risk of syphilis, which can lead to stillbirth, prematurity and newborn death
3. Tetanus toxoid immunization during pregnancy – to enable mothers to pass on protection to their newborn babies, who are vulnerable to contracting tetanus when their umbilical cord is cut
4. Antibiotics for preterm, premature rupture of membranes – to reduce the risk of infection if a woman’s waters break prematurely
5. Antenatal corticosteroids for preterm labour – to help premature babies’ lungs mature and avoid breathing problems
6. Basic obstetric care – a range of interventions to help the mother and baby survive, including anticonvulsants to prevent pregnant women having fits, antibiotics to treat infection, assisted births using forceps and/or a suction machine, drugs to make the uterus contract after birth and manual removal of placenta
7. Immediate newborn care – to ensure babies are stimulated to breathe, kept warm and fed properly after birth
8. Neonatal resuscitation – to save the lives of babies that are not breathing when they are born
10 countries with the worst newborn mortality rates
Country Neonatal mortality rate Percentage of births attended
per 1,000 births (2009) (2005-2009)
1. Afghanistan 52 14
2. Democratic Republic of Congo 52 74
3. Somalia 52 33
4. Mali 50 49
5. Sierra Leone 49 42
6. Guinea-Bissau 46 39
7. Central African Republic 45 44
8. Chad 45 14
9. Angola 42 47
10. Burundi 42 34
The 10 worst places for birth attendance
Country Percentage of births Neonatal mortality rate
attended (2005-2009) per 1,000 births (2009)
1. Ethiopia 6 36
2. Afghanistan 14 52
3. Chad 14 45
4. Timor-Leste 18 27
5. Nepal 19 27
6. Laos 20 22
7. Bangladesh 24 30
8. Haiti 26 27
9. Eritrea 28 17
10. Somalia 33 52
The 10 loneliest places to give birth
Country (year) Percentage of women giving birth alone
1. Nigeria (2008) 18.6
2. Niger (2006) 16.9
3. Mali (2006) 13.1
4. Rwanda (2007-8) 11.1
5. Guinea (2005) 9.0
6. Uganda (2006) 8.9
7. Angola (2006-7) 8.4
8. Kenya (2008-9) 6.5
9. Nepal (2006) 6.3
10. Ethiopia (2005) 5.4
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