Report Shows Drop in India's Infant Mortality Rate

India's infant mortality rate (IMR) has come down by three points from 47 to 44 deaths per 1,000 live births during 2011.

India's infant mortality rate (IMR) has come down by three points from 47 to 44 deaths per 1,000 live births during 2011, the health ministry said Friday.

According to the ministry, the latest bulletin of the Sample Registration System (SRS) released by the Registrar General of India (RGI) shows that the IMR for rural areas has dropped by three points from 51 to 48 deaths per 1,000 live births while the urban rate now stands at 29 from the previous 31.

Demographic Health Divide Continues but 2008 Survey Shows Health of Nation Improving
2008 Sample Registration System (SRS), survey shows Health of Nation improving as compared to 1998.

Among the states, Goa and Manipur have the lowest IMR of 11, followed by Kerala with 12 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 59 per 1,000 live births followed by Uttar Pradesh and Odisha with 57 each.

Assam, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Meghalaya have IMRs higher than the national average of 44.

Azad Laments India's Infant Mortality
Acknowledging the high infant mortality was an immense health concern for the nation, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the parliament of Indian scenario which is worse than its neighbours.

The SRS is a large-scale demographic survey for providing reliable annual estimates of birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.

The field investigation consists of continuous enumeration of births and deaths in selected sample units by anganwadi workers and teachers.

West Bengal Needs to Improve Its Infant Mortality Rate
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has said that West Bengal must act fast to improve its infant mortality rate, primary education and malnutrition of poor children.

Source-IANS

BabyShield- A New Painless Way To Screen Newborns
'BabyShield' a screening program that may help to detect 118 medical conditions in newborns at birth, in a non-invasive and painless way.