HYDERABAD: Around 10 newborns died in different areas of Tharparkar district over the past 24 hours for various reasons, including anaemia and malnourishment, reports reaching here on Monday evening said.

It was suggested that two of the children, five-day-old boy belonging to a family living in Lonihar village of Mithi, and four-day-old girl born to a couple living in Soondar village of Nagarparkar, died at the Mithi District Headquarters Hospital.

The other neonatal deaths were reported from Ranay Jo Tar, Neerokar, Diplo, Mordaee and Chhachhro. Four deceased children were identified as one-month-old Sana, daughter of Farooq Bajir, one-month-old Ayaz, son of Hameed, five-day-old Ghaffar, son of Mithal, and 10-day-old Seema, daughter of Maula Bukhsh.

The death of the remaining four newborns was reported from Chhachhro taluka. According to Dr Mohan posted at the Mithi hospital, the newborns taken at the hospital usually suffer from sepsis, malnourishment and birth aesthesia.

“Anaemic mothers give birth to such malnourished babies and mostly these women come from the Bheel and Kolhi communities. They suffer from deficiency of nutrients. The babies born in pre-term labour cases hardly survive,” he explained.

Currently, five newborns are kept in the nursery of the Mithi hospital while another five in the nutrition ward of the civil hospital.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2014