Outdated maternity wards in Romania lead to differences in infant mortality among counties

Premature babies in Romania that are unfortunate enough to be born in a maternity ward without adequate or with outdated medical equipment have diminished chances of survival. This leads to differences in infant mortality among counties, according to Save the Children Romania.

Out of the 193,191 children born in 2021 in Romania, 1,014 did not survive until the age of one, with many cases involving preventable or treatable problems. This highlights the importance of pregnancy monitoring, access to quality medical services for both mother and newborn, and equipping maternity wards and neonatology departments with state-of-the-art medical equipment for rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Romania ranks 2nd in the EU in terms of infant mortality, according to Eurostat statistics. In 2021, Bulgaria had an infant mortality rate of 5.6 per thousand live births, followed by Romania with a rate of 5.2 per thousand live births, and Slovakia with a rate of 4.9 per thousand live births. On the opposite end, the lowest infant mortality rates are recorded in Sweden, Finland, and Slovenia with 1.8 per thousand live births.

According to the final data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), in 2021, the infant mortality rate revealed significant discrepancies between the country's counties. The top five positions in the ranking are occupied by Tulcea (infant mortality rate of 11.1 per thousand live births), Sălaj (8.9 per thousand), Neamț (8.2 per thousand), Călărași (7.6 per thousand), and Mureș (7.1 per thousand live births).

In comparison, in Bucharest, where the majority of level 3 maternity wards are located, the infant mortality rate was 2.3 per thousand live births, below the national average of 5.2 per thousand live births.

The counties with the lowest infant mortality rates in 2021 were Teleorman (2.4 per thousand live births) and Vâlcea (3.1 per thousand live births).

Through its infant mortality reduction program, Save the Children Romania has mobilized resources of nearly EUR 9 million to equip 107 medical units (neonatology departments, neonatal intensive care units, pediatrics, and obstetrics-gynecology departments) in all counties with over 1,200 vital medical equipment.

"The program for equipping maternity wards and neonatal intensive care units is a priority for Save the Children. Nothing is more dramatic than losing a child because the maternity ward where they were born lacks state-of-the-art medical equipment to help them become strong enough to breathe on their own and go home," said Gabriela Alexandrescu, executive president of Save the Children Romania.

To date, Save the Children Romania has worked in 20 counties, in 70 disadvantaged rural communities, reaching 90,000 mothers, pregnant women, and children up to the age of 5. The organization is calling for a redirection of 3.5% of income tax to a vital cause: equipping maternity wards (neonatology departments, neonatal intensive care units, obstetrics-gynecology) and hospitals and pediatric departments with state-of-the-art equipment.