At 20.1 million, India had hoped to have the highest births since COVID-19 declared a pandemic: UNICEF

It is estimated that there will be 24.1 million births in India for the period January-December 2020. (Representative image)

India is expected to record the highest number of births in the 9 months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March, and more than 20 million babies are expected to be born in the country between March and December, according to a senior body at the ONU.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that pregnant mothers and babies born during the pandemic worldwide were threatened by tense health systems and interruptions in services.

An estimated 116 million babies will be born in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said on Wednesday, before Mother’s Day, observed on May 10. These babies are expected to be born up to 40 weeks after COVID-19 was recognized as a pandemic on March 11.

The highest number of births in the 9 months since the pandemic was declared is expected to occur in India, where 20.1 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16.

Other countries with the highest expected number of births during this period are China (13.5 million), Nigeria (6.4 million), Pakistan (5 million) and Indonesia (4 million), he said. “Most of these countries had high neonatal mortality rates even before the pandemic and can see these levels increase with COVID-19 conditions,” said UNICEF.

There are an estimated 24.1 million births in India for the January-December 2020 period. UNICEF warned that containment measures by COVID-19 may alter life-saving health services, such as childbirth care, putting millions at risk. of pregnant mothers and their babies.

Even the richest countries are affected by this crisis. In the USA The United States, the sixth-highest country in terms of the expected number of births, is projected that more than 3.3 million babies will be born between March 11 and December 16.

“New mothers and newborns will be greeted by harsh realities,” said UNICEF, adding that they include global containment measures, such as closings and curfews; health centers overwhelmed with response efforts; shortage of supplies and equipment; and the lack of enough qualified midwives as health workers, including midwives, are redistributed to treat COVID-19 patients.

“Millions of mothers around the world embarked on a fatherhood journey around the world as it was. Now they must prepare to bring a life to the world as it has become, a world in which pregnant mothers are afraid to go to health centers for fear of becoming infected or losing emergency care due to health services and emergency closings. “CEO Henrietta Fore said.

“It is hard to imagine how much the coronavirus pandemic has changed to motherhood,” Fore said.

UNICEF said its analysis was based on data from World Population Prospects 2019 from the UN Population Division. An average full-term pregnancy generally lasts 9 full months, or 39 to 40 weeks.

For the purposes of this estimate, the number of births was calculated for a 40-week period in 2020. The 40-week period from March 11 to December 16 is used in this estimate based on the WHO assessment of 11-11. March that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.

UNICEF warned that although evidence suggests that pregnant mothers are not more affected by COVID-19 than others, countries should ensure that they still have access to prenatal, delivery and postnatal services.

Similarly, sick newborns need emergency services as they are at high risk of death. New families require support to start breastfeeding and obtain medications, vaccines and nutrition to keep their babies healthy, she said.

“This is a particularly moving Mother’s Day, as many families have been forced to part ways during the coronavirus pandemic, but it is also a time for unity, a time to unite everyone in solidarity. We can help save lives making sure that every pregnant mother receives the support they need to deliver safely in the coming months, ”said Fore.

In issuing an urgent appeal to governments and health-care providers to save lives in the coming months, UNICEF said efforts should be made to help pregnant women receive prenatal care, skilled birth care, postnatal care services and care. related to COVID-19 as necessary.

Ensure that health workers receive the necessary personal protective equipment and obtain priority testing and vaccination once a COVID-19 vaccine is available so that it can provide high-quality care to all pregnant women and newborns during the pandemic, said.

While it is not yet known whether the virus is transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy and childbirth, UNICEF advised all pregnant women to take precautions to protect themselves from exposure to the virus.

Watch for COVID-19 symptoms and seek advice from the nearest designated center if you have questions or experience symptoms. Pregnant women should also take the same precautions to avoid COVID-19 infection as other people: practice physical distance, avoid physical meetings, and use online health services, she said.

UNICEF said that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 2.8 million pregnant women and newborns died each year, or 1 every 11 seconds, mainly from preventable causes. The agency called for an immediate investment in health workers with the proper training, who are equipped with the right medications to ensure that each mother and newborn are cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, childbirth. and childbirth.

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