A new research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t just making life awkward, but also severely affecting the quality of care given to small and sick newborns, resulting in unnecessary suffering and deaths.
The study also features the basic significance of guaranteeing newborn babies have close contact with mothers after birth, particularly for those born excessively little (at low birthweight) or too early (premature).
Be that as it may, in numerous countries, if COVID-19 infections are affirmed or suspected, newborn babies are in effect regularly isolated from their moms, putting them at higher danger of death and deep rooted unexpected issues.
This is particularly the situation in the least fortunate nations where the best number of untimely births and baby passings happen. As indicated by the report, interruptions to kangaroo mother care – which includes close contact between a parent, typically a mother, and an infant – will deteriorate these dangers.
Up to 125 000 babies’ lives could be saved with full inclusion of kangaroo mother care. For children born at low birthweight, kangaroo mother care (early, drawn out skin-to-skin contact with a mother and selective breastfeeding) is especially basic.
Among babies born prematurely or at low birthweight, kangaroo mother care has been appeared to diminish newborn child deaths by as much as 40%, hypothermia by over 70%, and serious diseases by 65%.
Progress in lessening child deaths will be jeopardized except if WHO and everybody included join hands to secure and improve quality care services for moms and babies, and grow inclusion of lifesaving mediations like kangaroo mother care.
WHO advises that mothers should continue to share a room with their babies from birth and be able to breastfeed and practice skin-to-skin contact – even when COVID-19 infections are suspected or confirmed – and should be supported to ensure appropriate infection prevention practices.
Kangaroo Mother Care is one of WHO’s most savvy approaches to protect little and wiped out babies. As indicated by the body’s investigation, these dangers by a long shot exceed the little possibility of an infant getting extreme infection from COVID-19.
In a global survey of thousands of neonatal healthcare providers, two-thirds of health workers in 62 countries reported they do not allow mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 to practice routine skin to skin contact, while nearly one-quarter did not allow breastfeeding, even by uninfected caregivers.
Studies have reported mainly no symptoms or mild disease from COVID-19 in infected newborns, with low risk of neonatal death. This new study estimates that the risk of newborns catching COVID-19 would result in fewer than 2000 deaths.
However, infection during pregnancy may result in increased risk of preterm birth, which means it is even more important to ensure the right care is given to support preterm babies and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per the latest assessments, 15 million infants are born prematurely (before 37 weeks) every year and 21 million are born at low birthweight (under 2.5kg). These babies face critical wellbeing hazards including inabilities, formative deferrals and contaminations, while rashness related confusions are the main sources of death of babies and children under 5.
