Perinatal asphyxia
Birth asphyxia, defined as the failure to establish breathing at birth, accounts for an estimated 900,000 deaths each year and is one of the primary causes of early neonatal mortality. The most common cause of perinatal asphyxia is complications during childbirth. Guidelines for neonatal resuscitation emphasise the importance of drying, stimulating and warming babies with birth asphyxia. Babies who still have problems need help with breathing using a bag-and-mask or equivalent device which is felt by many to be the critical step in managing asphyxiated babies.
WHO’s work includes: monitoring and data; guidelines; quality of care and research
Monitoring and data
- Working with countries and partners to implement the Every Newborn: An action plan to end preventable deaths adopted in May 2014 in the framework of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents' Health (2016-30);
- Working with countries to strengthen the availability and quality of data on birth asphyxia
- Coordinating the development of indicators at national and subnational level to assess coverage of bag and mask ventilation for asphyxiated babies
Guidelines
- Regularly updating clinical guidelines for the management of pregnancy, complicated deliveries and babies with birth asphyxia, including home-based follow-up care;
- Supporting countries to implement these guidelines
Key guidelines
This up-to-date, comprehensive and consolidated guideline on essential intrapartum care brings together new and existing WHO recommendations that, when...
This guideline aims to improve the quality of essential, routine postnatal care for women and newborns with the ultimate goal of improving maternal and...
Quality of care
- Working with partners to develop tools to improve health workers’ skills and to assess the quality of care provided to babies with birth asphyxia
Related resources
Standards for improving the quality of care for small and sick newborns in health facilities
The standards for the care of small and sick newborns in health facilities define, standardize and mainstream inpatient care of small and sick newborns,...
Pocket book of hospital care for children: Second edition
This is the second edition of the Pocket book of hospital care for children. It is for use by doctors, nurses and other health workers who are responsible...
Research
- Working with partners around the world to conduct research into the causes of birth asphyxia, and test effectiveness and delivery approaches for interventions to prevent birth asphyxia and treat babies that are born with birth asphyxia