India, Oct. 14 -- Vijayarathna Venkatraman, Chief Executive Officer, Motherhood Hospitals, in an opinion article published on Oct. 1, 2026, said neonatal mortality rates in India have decreased substantially in the past decade, while calling for neonatal care to be treated as a process that includes follow-up care for babies discharged from neonatal intensive care units.
Neonatal mortality trends and state variation
Venkatraman cited UN IGME data stating that neonatal mortality rates decreased from 28 to 17 per 1,000 live births from 2015 to 2023.
The article said improvements contributing to the decline included maternal care services, institutional deliveries, neonatal infrastructure, and clinical skill sets.
The article also said the...