Ecuador Takes Position 5 in Neonatal Mortality in Latin America

In 2010 Ecuador had a rate of 1.1% in neonatal deaths. The toll registered in Ecuador surpassed those of countries such as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela that do not exceed 1% of newborn deaths.

In relation with the overall percentage of Latin America (11%), Ecuador is located in the middle, but this does not make it advantageous, since countries like Mexico, where the number of births are seven times more than those in Ecuador, has a mortality rate of 0.7%.

Specialists consider that the statistics would drop if more work is held on the care of infants especially in the public sector.

Edison Aguilar, director of the Institute of Public Health of the Catholic University, stressed that infant care is an indicator of the quality and technical capacity of health care in a country, referring to health parameters such as: accessibility, availability or quality is tested when a newborn requires urgent medical attention.

The neonatologist Carlos Matute said: “If you do not have all biosecurity measures, asepsis, and antisepsis, the probability of a newborn with infection is higher, especially because a baby up to 28 days of age has a weak and vulnerable defense system.

Source: El Comercio Newspaper