Healthy Newborns – Context of Poverty

Every year millions of children under 5 die, many of them before reaching their first year of life or even reaching their first month of life. By educating caregivers and providing much-needed resources, the chances of babies surviving and thriving significantly increase.

Prenatal care is limited or nonexistent:

• Lack of prenatal care can miss problems that would otherwise be noticed and properly treated such as malnutrition, development of the baby, a mother carrying twins that may require special attention, iron deficiencies that can lead to anemia, other conditions such as the presence of malaria or HIV

Skilled birth attendants are not always present:

• Without a qualified birth attendant present during labor, the survival risks to mother and baby can be severe
• Unattended births at home can lead to serious complications, including the loss of the baby and medical problems for the mother

Untreated medical conditions can have serious consequences:

• Malnutrition can lead to anemia, which may lead to risks for the mother and baby
• Diseases such as malaria can also lead to serious health concerns during pregnancy, including anemia
• Deficiencies in nutrition can result in babies with low birth weight or birth defects
• A mother can transmit HIV to her baby, requiring medical care for mother and baby