Worldwide, one million babies die within 24 hours of their birth?

Why?

“The initial 24 hours of a child’s life are the most dangerous with over one million newborns around the world dying each year on their first and only day of life, according to Ending Newborn Deaths, a new report by Save the Children. The research reveals of another 1.2 million tragic losses: stillbirths where the heart stopped beating during labour. In total, 2.9 million babies die in their first month. Most of these deaths occur because of premature birth and complications during birth – such as, prolonged labour, pre-eclampsia, and infection.”

WHO on One Million Babies Die Within 24 Hours Of Birth

It ain’t vaccines…

First Day Deaths and the Hepatitis B Vaccine

Of course, that doesn’t keep anti-vaccine folks from trying to correlate the two things, especially with the hepatitis B vaccine.

Korea for example, gives a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine.

In general, Korea’s immunization schedule looks a lot like the one used in the United States. And Korea has both a lower infant and neonatal mortality rate than the United States and most European countries.

What about the idea that the United States has 50% more first day deaths than all other developed countries combined?

That’s likely true.

But not because of vaccines.

In addition to our higher population, this reflects “significant gaps between babies born to wealthy, well-educated urban mothers and those born to poor, less-educated mothers,” among other factors.

“In the United States, many suspect increases are due to more high-risk pregnancies caused by the rising prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, more older women having children, advancements in fertility treatments that result in multiple births, and the high rate of cesarean sections – all of which increase the risk a mother faces during pregnancy and childbirth. Recent studies in the U.S. also suggest that poor quality care and better counting of maternal deaths may play a role.”

State of the World’s Mothers 2014

First day deaths are a serious issue.

It shouldn’t become yet another talking point anti-vaccine folks use to scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.

More on Myths About Newborn Deaths

• VAXOPEDIA – Has the United States’ Infant Mortality Rate Ranking Been Dropping as We Vaccinate More Kids?
• VAXOPEDIA – Does Japan have the Lowest Infant Mortality Rate Following a Ban on Mandatory Vaccinations?
• WHO – One Million Babies Die Within 24 Hours Of Birth
• WHO – Newborns: reducing mortality
  
• Ending newborn deaths
• State of the World’s Mothers 2015
• State of the World’s Mothers 2014
• Surviving the first day: State of the World’s Mothers 2013
• In the First 24 Hours of Life, Every Newborn Needs These 5 Things
• Neonatal deaths: United States, 2003-2013
• Why Is Infant Mortality Higher in the United States Than in Europe?
• Decreasing Trends of Neonatal and Infant Mortality Rates in Korea: Compared with Japan, USA, and OECD Nations
• Immunization decision-making in the Republic of Korea: the structure and functioning of the Korea Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
• Over a million babies a year die on first day of life