Cases of children who die between the day of birth and 28 days (Neonatal mortality) have become a challenge and concern for many stakeholders especially those in the health sector.
The Assin Fosu Health Directory has so far recorded 40 neonatal deaths in the first 9 months of 2018 which translates into 20 deaths per 1000 live birth.
The Directorate also recorded 60 neonatal deaths in 2017 which translate into 14 deaths per 1000 live birth.
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It is also believed that the number of neonatal mortality which occurs in the various villages without the attention of the Directorate, runs into a double of the number of cases on record.
Emmanuel Amoasi, a health promotion officer who spoke to Adom News at a neonatal mortality sensitization program in Assin Akomfode, said even though harmful cultural practices contribute to the causes of death among the newborn, infections are the largest culprit – bout 31 percent – of death in newborns.
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Pre-term and low birth weight, birth complication including asphyxia is the other leading causes of newborn deaths.
Meanwhile, Mary Arthur, a nurse added that the number of newborn deaths does not vary much across socioeconomic and educational backgrounds.
These indicators, therefore, suggest that the quality of care babies receive in the first few hours to a few days of life contribute to their demise.
However, the senior midwife at the St. Francis Hospital in Assin Fosu, Alice Odoom Poku, pleaded on prayer camp operators to stop admitting pregnant women to avoid neonatal mortality.
