In an unfortunate incident, three newborn babies died due to an 11-hour blackout in the capital city of Bhopal. The babies were delivered at a government hospital in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh.
Surprisingly, the Balaghat hospital was declared the best maternity hospital in the area by the state health commissioner a fortnight ago. Not a single hospital official was able to explain why the one and only generator of the hospital was not used during the power failure. The blackout happened at 7pm on Sunday to 6am on Monday morning.
However, officials confirmed only two deaths and denied there had been neglect.
"Two deaths were reported from the district hospital yesterday (Sunday) night. One child was stillborn and the other died of asphyxia.We cannot blame power cuts, and there was no negligence on the part of the hospital staff," the Balaghat chief medical and health officer (CMHO), Dr K K Khosla, told the media.
The district administration has ordered an enquiry into the matter. However, the incident throws light on a medical condition in newborns that can sometimes also be fatal.
What is Birth Asphyxia?
Neonatal Asphyxia or Birth Asphyxia is the medical condition that happens if a newborn is deprived of oxygen before, during, or right after the baby's birth. A lack of oxygen, affects the proper functioning of the cell and waste products start building up in the cells leading to damage.
While this dearth of oxygen can harm the infant's various organs such as the heart, lungs and liver, it is the damage to the brain that is considered to be most severe. Perinatal asphyxia happens in 2 to 10 per 1000 full-term babies, and more for premature babies.
While babies with mild asphyxia may recover quickly, those with a severe condition may have a permanent injury to their brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, bowels or other organs.
Here are the common symptoms of birth asphyxia in newborns
- The newborn appears to be struggling while breathing or not breathing at all
- The baby's skin is turning blue or pale due to the lack of oxygen
- The baby has poor heart rate
- Muscle tone and reflexes are weak
- The baby has seizures
- The amniotic fluid is stained with meconium, also known as the baby's first stool
Also read: The effects of under feeding in a newborn baby's brain
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the article, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ and Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest from theIndusparent.com
[Image courtesy: Pixabay]
