Infant mortality is defined as the death of children under one year of age. This number (often an average of the region) is most often associated with developing/underdeveloped nations such as those in the continent of Africa, and the Subcontinent of India. In regions such as these, women give birth to a large amount of children in hopes that a few will mature into adulthood. There are many factors that affect Infant mortality:poor healthcare, malnourishment, dehydration, and disease are all causes of Infant mortality.

Luckily there are things that people in regions that are impacted the most by high rates of Infant Mortality can do in order to reduce the number of children dying. One thing is that couples can plan their pregnancies and get adequate prenatal care. Because a mother’s environment and health directly affect the fetus, by taking care of the mother’s health is of utmost importance.

Another thing that parents can do is screen their child for hidden health issues. Tests run by doctors can help identify problems in babies that are not apparent during childbirth. Theses tests (which may require the blood of the infant) can help identify potentially fatal diseases such as Malaria. Tests such as this can help doctors determine the best course of action in order to save the baby’s life.

But perhaps the most important factor in reducing Infant Mortality rate is educating women. Education not only furthers the status of equality between genders throughout the world, but it also helps the local economy (and potentially the medical field). By improving the economy/infrastructure of a developing nation, the once developing nation can turn into a developed nation. This comes with benefits such as better healthcare, and better living conditions. Additionally, the more women that are educated, the more women work. Working women cannot give birth to multiple kids. This can help decrease the World’s population and increase resources for everybody else.

In conclusion, there are many things that can be done to decrease the Infant Mortality rates in Developing/underdeveloped countries. These things include but are not limited to health screening for babies, better care for pregnant women, and education for all!-Post written by Yash Banga

Sources:

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infant-mortality/topicinfo/reduce-risk

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/the-two-best-ways-to-reduce-infant-mortality