Haryana starts state-wide birth defect surveillance

Haryana government has initiated state-wide birth defect surveillance in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
This was revealed at a two-day state level workshop on birth defect surveillance which concluded here today. Soon all district hospitals will be linked to this surveillance activity, said an official release.
Director National Health Mission Inoshi Sharma, who inaugurated workshop, said there are 1.7 million children born in India with Congenital Birth Defect (CBD) and it accounts for six per cent of the total births.
As many as 7,700 children die every year due to CBD. Twenty five per cent of the CBD comprise congenital heart disease, Neural Tube Defect, and Down Syndrome, she said.

She said Birth Defect Surveillance (BDS) training is intended to serve as a tool to establish hospital based surveillance and severe congenital anomalies that will be captured during the first few days following birth and thereby have significant public health impact, and for some there is a potential for primary prevention.
Suresh Dalpath, Deputy Director, Child Health, Haryana said in Haryana, birth defect data is being captured from various sources like anemia tracking module, home based post natal care, Special New-born Care Units and about one per cent new-born were admitted or diagnosed with birth defects.
The expected outcomes will have a uniform data collection and reporting of selected externally visible birth defects in all districts of Haryana, he said.