In the coming nine months after the Coronavirus struck the world, India will record the highest birth whereas the world will see an estimated 116 million new babies.
About 20.1 million babies will be born in India. China will see the second largest births during the period. An estimated 13.5 million new born are expected in the coming nine months after the pandemic started in China, the UNICEF said. Nigeria with 6.4 billion births comes next. While five millions babies will be born in Pakistan, 4 million will be born in Indonesia, the UN Body said.
Noting that the mothers and newborns will be greeted by harsh realities, the UNICEF warned that the pandemic could strain health care capacities for the newborns and mothers.
UNICEF’s executive director Henrietta Fore said that coronavirus containment measures could disrupt health services to the mother and the child such as childbirth care. This places the mother and the child at high risk, the UN Body said.
The UNICEF had made the projections for a 40 week period from March 11 to December 16, 2020.
It said that the countries that will witness a baby boom already had “high neonatal mortality rates” even before the pandemic. These levels are likely to increase with Coronavirus.
Though it is not known if the Coronavirus is transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy and delivery, the UN Body said that all pregnant women should follow precautions to protect themselves from getting exposed to the virus.
