WHO report: Making every baby count

Overview

Pregnancy is a time of great anticipation for all expectant parents and their families as they envision getting to know and love a healthy baby. The presence of a long-desired baby in a woman’s womb is accompanied by thoughts and dreams about what the child will look like and how his or her future will be.

Experiencing a stillbirth or the death of a baby in the final stages of pregnancy, during labour or soon after delivery is a silent tragedy for mothers, fathers and families globally. The day of birth is potentially the most dangerous day for both mothers and their babies. Significant reductions have been made in neonatal mortality during the last two decades, but there are still an estimated 2.7 million neonatal deaths and 2.6 million stillbirths every year. Most of these losses are preventable with high-quality, evidence-based interventions delivered before and during pregnancy, during labour and childbirth, and in the crucial hours and days after birth.

Produced by: WHO