(Henry Lee, MD / Huffington Post) With September right around the corner, I can’t help but realize that it is also National Infant Mortality Awareness Month. The most fragile period of a child’s life is in the first 28 days, known as the neonatal period. In these first days, newborns can succumb to birth asphyxia (the inability to breathe at birth), as well as other issues related to preterm birth or infection. As a neonatologist, I have a strong interest in reducing infant mortality, particularly neonatal mortality, through research, teaching, and clinical practice.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining the China Neonatal Resuscitation Task Force, a partnership of several Chinese organizations including the Chinese Ministry of Health, Chinese National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Society of Perinatal Medicine, and Chinese Nursing Association, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Johnson & Johnson. The Task Force is committed to reducing neonatal mortality in China by addressing birth asphyxia. Babies who have difficulty breathing at birth need help from healthcare providers who are skilled in neonatal resuscitation. In order to accomplish the goal of reducing neonatal mortality, it will be necessary to have at least one trained and skilled health provider at every facility birth in China — a country with over 17 million births per year.