Infant mortality rate drops 51% worldwide and 60% in Brazil

A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the first half of this year indicates that global infant mortality reached its lowest level in history in 2022. According to the document, the number of children who died before reaching five years old dropped to 4.9 million in 2022, marking a record low. Additionally, the global under-five mortality rate decreased by 51% since 2000, while in Brazil, the decline was even more pronounced, reaching 60% over the same period.

“Among the high-risk patients being monitored are babies with perinatal asphyxia (lack of oxygen at birth), prematurity, congenital heart defects, and infections. We are talking about the real possibility of detecting seizures and other potentially fatal clinical conditions early, preserving the lives and brain integrity of children. This is a very important advancement that is currently available in public and private maternity hospitals across the country,” explains Gabriel Variane, neonatologist and founder of PBSF (Protecting Brains & Saving Futures), a Brazilian company focused on the neurological care of high-risk newborns.

ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH

Perinatal asphyxia is considered by the WHO as the third leading cause of death in newborns worldwide, accounting for 23% of the total. In Brazil, it is estimated that 20,000 children are born every year with a lack of oxygen in the brain. This condition can occur before, around the time of birth, or shortly after. In addition to the risk of death, this problem can also cause brain injuries in babies with a gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks.

SEIZURE DETECTOR

An example of the impact of this care model is the reduction in infant mortality rates in three cities with large public maternity hospitals in the Baixada Santista region, which use the PBSF system. This initiative gained international recognition in an article published in JAMA Network Open in 2023, which described the largest cohort of newborns with perinatal asphyxia monitored for brain activity using digital health tools, originating in Brazil.

In the study, 872 babies were monitored, of whom 296 (33.9%) experienced seizures. Among these babies with seizures, 89% had subclinical seizures, without physical signs, diagnosed only through monitoring.

“It is important to highlight that neonatal mortality is the main contributing factor to infant mortality. Actions during pregnancy, childbirth, and the first days of life can help further reduce these rates. We believe that with technological advancements, including the analysis of multiple simultaneous data, the use of artificial intelligence, and immersive reality tools, we can progressively contribute to reducing these newborn deaths in Brazil and worldwide,” he concludes.