15 million babies born too soon, over 1 million die each year
A new report provides the first-ever national, regional and global estimates of preterm birth. The report shows the extent to which preterm birth is on the rise in most countries, and is now the second leading cause of death globally for children under five, after pneumonia.
Addressing preterm birth is now an urgent priority for reaching Millennium Development Goal 4, calling for the reduction of child deaths by two-thirds by 2015. This report shows that rapid change is possible and identifies priority actions for everyone.
Neonatal mortality: trends 1990-2010
Neonatal mortality has been declining worldwide. The number of deaths among babies 0-28 days of life decreased from 4.4 million in 1990 to 3.1 million in 2010. There was also a 28% reduction in neonatal mortality rates (NMRs) over the same period of time, from an estimated 32 deaths per 1000 live births to 23 deaths per 1000 live births - a slow progress. While some advancement have been in place and NMRs have declined in all WHO regions of the world, progress is unequally distributed.
District planning tool for maternal and newborn health strategy implementation
This publication provides national and district health managers/planners with practical resources for the planning and implementation of Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) services towards making pregnancy safer.
It is a practical tool for anyone who is responsible for MNH programme management and all stakeholders at district level. It includes a technical overview on prevalence and causes of maternal and newborn death and disability; highlights strategic directions for improving maternal and newborn health and the key 10 steps required for the proposed district planning framework for MNH.
Guidelines on optimal feeding of low birth-weight infants in low- and middle-income countries
WHO has developed guidelines on optimal feeding of low birth weight infants in low- and middle-income countries. These guidelines include recommendations on what to feed low-birth weight infants, when to start feeding, how to feed, how often and how much to feed.
