Health of infants is a neglected area.
Who is an infant? In simple terms, it is a child who has not yet completed the first year of his life.
Do we need to pay attention to health of infants? Yes, we do.
After all, they form a sizable part of the world population and will develop into the custodians of the future.
Healthy infants today would mean healthy adults in the times to come.
Is there a problem? Yes, there is.
Consider this.
Did you know that out of every thousand children born, 57 never make it to their first birthday? According to figures available, diarrhea, respiratory tract infections and malnutrition have been responsible for more than 60% of the deaths in this age group.
The irony is that barring some exceptions, all these conditions are fully curable.
Just remember the four basics: 1.
Use of 5 cleans during delivery 2.
Exclusive breast-feeding for first 6 months of life of the newborn; adequate nutritious diet to be added after that 3.
Timely Immunization 4.
Watch for signs of difficulty in breathing, dehydration Services including drugs are available free of cost at the government run health centers.
Governments, international agencies and local voluntary organizations spend a hefty amount of resources trying to ensure healthy infancy.
Policy changes are being carried out at state, national as well as international levels.
The need of the hour is to spread adequate awareness among the public coupled with enhancing the efforts by the health agencies.