Global Burden, Epidemiologic Trends, and Prevention of Intrapartum-Related Deaths in Low-Resource Settings

Abstract

Intrapartum-related neonatal deaths include live-born infants who die in the first 28 days of life from neonatal encephalopathy or die before onset of neonatal encephalopathy and have evidence of intrapartum injury. A smaller portion of the population in poorer countries has access to basic obstetric and postnatal care causing neonatal mortality rates to be higher. Presence of a skilled birth attendant and provision of basic emergency obstetric care can reduce intrapartum birth asphyxia by 40%. With the announcement of Sustainable Development Goals and global Every Newborn Action Plan, there is hope that interventions around continuum of care will save lives.

Keywords: Birth asphyxia (BA); Helping Babies Breathe (HBB); Intrapartum related neonatal deaths (IRND); Low and middle income countries (LMIC); Neonatal encephalopathy (NE); Skilled birth attendant (SBA); The live saved tool (LiST).