Events

12 Oct 2020

Infant mortality in Belarus lower than in UK, Poland, USA

MINSK, 12 October (BelTA) – Infant mortality in Belarus is lower than in all the CIS states and many developed countries such as the UK, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, and the United States, deputy head of the medical aid department, head of the department of medical assistance to mothers and children of the Healthcare Ministry Dmitry Lazar told the media, BelTA has learned.

The infant mortality rate in Belarus in 2019 was 2.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. “In January-August 2020 the infant mortality rate made up 2.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. It was higher only due to the smaller number of births,” Dmitry Lazar said.

The maternal mortality rate, one of the main indicators of reproductive health of women, has decreased more than 10 times in the last 20 years. This indicator was 1.1 deaths per 100,000 live births (one case) in 2019. No cases of maternal mortality has been registered this year.

In the ranking of the most comfortable countries for motherhood, Belarus ranks 25th and is one of the 50 best countries for the management of pregnancy, organization of births by qualified medical personnel. “Belarus is one of the fifth countries in the world that provide 100% delivery by qualified medical personnel, and goes ahead of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Norway, USA and France. The world average rate is 71%,” Dmitry Lazar said.

Survival of extremely low-birth-weight infants in the first year of life is more than 80%; primary disability among this category of children in recent years has not exceeded 17-18%.

Specialized medical care for women with the most severe obstetric, gynecological and extragenital pathology is provided in the National Scientific and Practical Center Mother and Child. Newborns, including premature infants, receive care here. The center develops the latest medical technologies aimed at improving diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the most significant pathological conditions in pregnant women, women of childbearing age, children, including newborns. There is also a department of family planning and assisted reproductive technologies.

The number of births without complications has recently stabilized in the country. In 2019, the proportion of normal births was 43.1%. The proportion of premature births was 4.1%. Multiple births accounted for 1.2%.

The number of abortions is on a decline. The country’s healthcare organizations provide pre-abortion psychological counseling. In 2019, it was provided to almost all the women who wanted to terminate a pregnancy, 26% of them decided to keep their child. Amendments to the law on healthcare are made, with the plans to add a norm on family prenatal counseling.