Birth asphyxia major cause

Neonatal deaths

Birth asphyxia and sepsis together with the low birth weight have been major causes of neonatal deaths in Bangladesh, an international conference on saving newborns said Wednesday, reports agency.

“Infection and sepsis claim 36 percent, birth asphyxia 21 percent and low birth weight 43 percent of neonates within 28 days of their birth,” leading pediatrician Professor MQK Talukder told BSS on the sidelines of the three-day conference at Dhaka Shishu Hospital (DSH).

Scientists and pediatricians from home and abroad are attending the conference, jointly organised by Bangladesh Neonatal Foundation (BNF) and the UN International Children Fund (UNICEF).

Issues related to birth asphyxia and sepsis as well as their management in modern world figured prominently at the conference, which is expected to make recommendations for reducing child mortality rate in Bangladesh.

According to a statistic, Bangladesh has achieved a substantial decrease in child mortality, but it requires further steps to achieve millennium development goal (MDG).

Making a presentation on the practical management of asphyxia, Dr Sam Richmond of Saunderland Royal Hospital of the United Kingdom said proper practice of resuscitation by doctors and nurses could save many lives.

He said many newborn babies could be cured only through drying and covering their bodies immediately after their birth. Giving practical inputs to doctors in assessing the severity of asphyxia, Dr Sam urged them to take resuscitation according to four types of symptoms of newborns.

The symptoms, he said, could be identified through observing the baby’s colour, tone, breathing and heart rate. “But counting heart rates and following tone should be the best ways to determine the future course of action for the newborn,” he said, adding that doctors must know the physiology before taking remedial measures.

Health Adviser Dr AMM Shawkat Ali is likely to inaugurate the conference formally today at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC).

Source: The Daily Commercial Times