A new commitment to newborn survival.

Abstract

Well-structured and thoughtful education programs in low-income countries offer hope for dramatically improved outcomes for pregnant mothers and their newborns. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, the Ethiopian Pediatrics Society, and the Pediatric Association of Nigeria are collaborating by implementing a combination of learning modules for health care providers who attend to pregnant women and their newborns. This new educational effort, described in the present article, is an example of how pediatricians worldwide are working through their national professional organizations to assist in the quest for improved newborn survival rates.—Jay E. Berkelhamer Column Editor The world is <500 days away from the deadline to meet targets established for 2015 by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A July 2014 report from the United Nations Secretary General showed that significant progress has been made and millions of lives have been saved but that more effort is needed, specifically in maternal and child survival (MDGs 4 and 5). However, newborn deaths continue to account for 44% of all deaths among children aged <5 years.1 Globally, 2.9 million infants die in the first month of life, and an additional 2.6 million are stillborn.1 In addition, every day, 800 women die during pregnancy or childbirth, making it less likely that their children will survive.2 The majority of these deaths are preventable. Earlier this year, the United Nations World … Address correspondence to Jonathan D. Klein, MD, MPH, FAAP, American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. E-mail: jklein{at}aap.org