Hyderabad: Infant Protection Day, observed on November 7 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of ensuring the safety, health and well-being of infants.
This day serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities that newborns and infants face and the critical role that society plays in safeguarding their future. It encourages parents, caregivers, healthcare professionals and communities to come together and take actions that can reduce infant mortality rates, promote healthy development, and create a safe environment for infants to thrive.
Infant Protection Day emphasises the need for proper healthcare, nutrition, and protection for the world’s youngest members, ultimately advocating for their rights and a brighter future.
History
The roots of Infant Protection Day go back to the 20th century when the United States started working on improving things like infant health, making sure places were clean, and providing clean water to drink. European countries joined hands with America, realizing that newborns are easily at risk of getting sick. Together, they decided to celebrate Infant Protection Day every year on November 7.
Over time, it has become a global event where organizations from different countries come together to make sure kids are protected, stopping things like child abuse, making living conditions better, and giving every child the same chance for good health.
Significance
The World Health Organization reports that more than 2.4 million newborns perished in their first month of life in 2019. Over 7000 children die every day, making child mortality rate for those under the age of five at 47 percent. Infant Protection Day is celebrated to raise awareness and educate people about the value of early child care in lowering mortality rates.
The majority of newborns, particularly in developing nations, suffer from illness and pass away during their first few years of life as a result of inadequate nutrition and care. By commemorating Infant Protection Day, we can make sure that every precaution is taken to keep the newborn safe and healthy.
Features of infant protection system
Unlimited Tags: Our system can support large number of tags in a single installation.
High-end Security system: Infant Ankle Bracelet, Wireless network infrastructure, and maternity staff & Mother badge supervision with audit trails and system logs
Mother – Baby matching: Prevents baby switching by permitting staff to confirm that the correct baby is being presented to the mother.
Tags with Tamper alert : Tags automatically transmit alerts upon unauthorized removal of the tag from the baby
Baby authorisation: Staff & family can move infants freely within the protected zones, but infants cannot be moved out of these zones without authorisation
Advanced Monitoring software: Enables security staff to monitor alerts, personalize all tags, enroll users, transport and discharge babies, temporarily deactivate tags and track infant movement.
Ways to protect your infant
- Wipe the baby dry and clean and delay the first bath for at least 24 hours
- Keep the baby warm with one or two layers of clothes more than adults and keep the head covered with a hat
- Have the baby tested for eye and hearing problems and for jaundice
- Keep the umbilical cord dry and, not applying anything on it, such as ointment
- Keep the baby and the mother together in the same room and allow the baby to feed on demand
- When the baby is small, keep the baby in skin-to skin contact as much as possible every day
- Wash hands with soap and water before handling the baby
- Know the danger signs and where to seek care, such as if the baby is not feeding well, has fast breathing or a high temperature.
- Your infant can quickly become dehydrated. In the beginning, your little one really does need to feed every couple of hours (hence your sleepless nights at first).
- Your infant's immune system is still developing, especially in the first 30 days, so it's important to avoid unnecessary exposures.
- Your baby can't roll over yet, so that puts them at an extra risk of suffocation. Put your baby down in a bare crib on their back. And although snuggles are wonderful, don't fall asleep with your baby in bed with you.
- A Journal of Pediatrics study revealed that an astonishing 86% of parents positioned their newborns incorrectly in their car seats. And 77% incorrectly installed the car seat. Both the City of Scottsdale and the City of Phoenix provide car seat inspections. You can also contact SafeKids Maricopa County for safety events near you.
- The first few months with your new baby can be overwhelming. Don't be afraid to reach out for support. Make it a priority to have someone else watch the baby, and get away every now and then, even for a quick walk around the block or a relaxing bath.
Measures taken by government
- Under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), here are the top 5 measures that the government has taken to reduce the infant mortality rate:
- Home Based New Born Care (HBNC) through ASHAs with several home visits.
- Mother and Child Protection Card which works with the Ministry of Women and Child Development to monitor service delivery for mothers and children.
- Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK), is a programme for training healthcare providers on essential newborn care and resuscitation.
- Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), an introduction of child health screening for 4Ds i.e. defects at birth, deficiencies, diseases, development delays and their management among children from 0-18 years of age.
- Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) and Facility Based Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (F-IMNCI).
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
The Government of India is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) with effect from 1st January 2017. The PMMVY Scheme is being implemented as per provisions under Section 4 of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 which provides for financial support for pregnant and lactating mothers is to improve the health and nutrition for mother and child as well as compensation for wage loss, if any.
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