The World Health Organisation?? (WHO) latest global report on child mortality (2000-13) has once again placed India among the leading countries in terms of high infant mortality rate. The reasons why India has a large number of babies dying prematurely within 27 days of birth include weak health of infants as well as lifestyle diseases of their mothers like diabetes, obesity and blood pressure that lead to premature deliveries.

According to the report published in The Lancet, out of 6.3 million children who died before reaching the age of 5 in 2013, over 51.8 per cent died of ??nfectious diseases??and over 2.741 million children (44 per cent) died in the neonatal period. Dr Bhupendra Avasthi, pediatrician, Sion Hospital, said, ??he revenue allotted for pediatric care in the country is minimal. Many babies, apart from the malnourished ones, are born with complications and our lifestyle is also playing a lethal role in it. Most of them either contract infections or develop asphyxia.??/p>

The WHO report has made special mention of the deaths in India and China due to higher mortality rate. The three leading causes of the pre-mature deaths according to the report are Pneumonia (14.9 per cent), pre-mature birth complications (15.5 per cent) and intra-partum related complications (10.5 per cent).

Click Here To Read More