Blame hospital for newborn deaths

After the shocking report of 86 newborn deaths in Banswara District Hospital (MG Hospital) in just two months came out, the government officials are said on Saturday the incidents happened only due to the carelessness of the hospital staff. However, health experts suggest that the problem is just a tip of the iceberg.

According to experts, low weight during birth indicates that the pregnant mother did not receive proper care. “Low birth weight is related to maternal nutrition. It indicates that the mother was either undernourished or was not in a proper physical condition to give birth to a baby,” Dr Ashok Gupta, superintendent, JK Lon Hospital told DNA. 

“Thirty per cent babies in the state are born underweight. It suggests that the baby’s organs, especially the lungs, are weak,” he added. At a time when the state is aiming to curb neonatal mortality rate and focusing on critical issues such as maternal health and nutrition of pregnant women, the incidents of newborn deaths reflect more attention should be paid towards the marriage of adolescents. Also, early pregnancy emerged as one of the main causes of these deaths.

“Seventy per cent of the mothers, whose newborns died in MG hospital, had very poor health. Some of them were having their third child at the age of below 20,” Naveen Jain, MD, National Health Mission told DNA. 

“The pregnant women must get proper health facilities before and after the baby is born. Rajasthan has successfully completed the Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme. More such programmes should be made so that the pregnant women could be taken care of within the community,” said Jain.

Harrowing figures

86 newborn deaths during July and August 
73 were born underweight
20 weighed even less than a kilo  
As per the hospital record
18 deaths occurred due to low birth weight
37 newborns died due to birth asphyxia, as their lungs were not properly developed
It indicates that the mothers were undernourished.