Infant mortality rate improves to 10 in Ambala district

Tribune News Service

Ambala, May 24

After witnessing a steady trend for two years, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the district has improved to 10 for the period between April 2022 and March 23. The IMR is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.

Newborn care units

Improved healthcare facilities and constant efforts being made to decrease the number of infant deaths have started yielding results, with the IMR being recorded at 10 last year. Underweight children are kept in a nutritional rehabilitation centre & there are special newborn care units to treat infants. Dr Kuldeep Singh, Civil Surgeon

As per data procured from the Health Department, the IMR was recorded at 17 in 2018-19 with 285 deaths. It improved to 14 with 279 deaths in 2019-20, and further to 11 with 212 deaths in 2020-21. It remained static at 11 with 219 deaths in 2021-22 and improved to 10 with 197 deaths in 2022-23.

A senior health official said hypothermia, nutritional deficiencies in mother, birth asphyxia, preterm or prematurity, sepsis, congenital birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome and congenital malformations were some of the major causes of deaths in infants. Every single infant death was recorded and the cases were reviewed so that the facilities could be further improved to prevent deaths.

Though, with increasing healthcare facilities and monitoring of pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy, especially those who are anaemic, have helped the department in bringing the rate down, there is a still a long way to go. Public awareness can play a big role in bringing the IMR further down,” he said.

The Civil Surgeon, Ambala, Dr Kuldeep Singh, said: “Improved healthcare facilities and constant efforts being made to decrease the number of infant deaths have started yielding results, with the IMR being recorded at 10 last year. Underweight children are kept in a nutritional rehabilitation centre, and there are special newborn care units to treat infants.”

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