In order to provide better health services to pregnant women, officials promoting institutional deliveries

Prayagraj: Badshahimandi resident Anam faced unwanted troubles during delivery after she refused to go through institutional delivery and preferred an inexperienced woman for delivery of child at home.
Ironically, the condition of Anam and her new born child got deteriorated and the family members immediately contacted Asha worker– Firdaus Bano - who brought both mother and child at SNCU (Special New Born Care Unit) equipped hospital and managed to save their lives.
Similarly, Chowk resident Rachna faced similar circumstances as she had performed laxity and negligence during her routine Anti Natal care (ANC) check- up and the condition of her new born child got deteriorated despite undergoing institutional delivery. The doctors found the child suffering from birth asphyxia and admitted the child to SNCU ward of Sarojani Naidu children hospital for treatment.
Officials of the health department in an attempt to offer better health services to pregnant women, are promoting institutional deliveries with an appeal to pregnant women to go through proper routine ANC exercise. Officials admitted that despite promoting institutional deliveries in both rural and urban areas, a total of 2,438 cases of child deliveries at homes were reported between January 2021 and October 2022 in the district.
Officials also claimed that as many as 90,769 women had too gone through institutional deliveries in the same period in the district.
“ If all is well, most babies cry immediately after birth and it determines the first sign that health of the new born child is good “ said health officials. Officials, however, said “health staff must be careful if new born child doesn’t weep immediately after birth as it indicates towards birth asphyxia” added officials.
Doctors claim that Asphyxia means lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. Birth asphyxia happens when a baby’s brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients before, during or right after birth. In severe cases, it can cause serious complications and even be life threatening.
Immediate treatment is necessary to ensure that the baby receives enough oxygen. District Programme Manager (National Health Mission) Vinod Singh said, “Pregnant women should go for regular ANC check up at primary \ community or hospital concerned and opt for institutional deliveries to avoid such unwanted situations”.
Those pregnant women who found birth asphyxia in their first child during deliveries, there are more possibility of similar situation in second child. Pregnant women suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, anemia, preeclampsia or eclampsia and other serious ailments, must go for deliveries at hospital having facility of special new born care units. DPM, meanwhile, said SNCU facilities are available at two city based hospitals including SN children hospital and district women hospital (Dufferin).