Paediatricians have urged parents not to ignore signs such as breathing difficulties, convulsions, abnormal skin colour, or extreme coldness in newborns, warning that delayed treatment could be fatal.
They urged parents to promptly seek medical attention whenever they notice such signs in newborns.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise on measures to reduce neonatal deaths in Nigeria, a paediatric surgeon at Bayero University, Kano, Aminu Mohammad, said parents and families must be educated on recognising early warning signs in newborns to improve their chances of survival.
He said, “Families should be educated on the danger signs in newborns. Whenever a newborn is having difficulty breathing, is not breathing well, is convulsing, has abnormal skin colour, or is extremely cold, they must be taken to the hospital immediately. The earlier the baby receives care, the better.”
Mohammad also urged healthcare professionals to always prioritise newborns brought to their facility.
The paediatrician said, “Newborns must be treated as soon as they arrive in the health facility; they should not wait like adults until their condition worsens. Early treatment significantly improves survival.”
The paediatrician stressed that preventing neonatal deaths requires interventions at multiple levels, from the family and community to the healthcare system.
“Prevention is always better than cure. Prevention requires a multifaceted approach targeting different levels — from communities to the national health system. Mothers need to be aware of danger signs and how to avoid them,” the child health expert said.
He identified access to antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, early initiation of breastfeeding, and good hygiene as key measures for protecting newborns.
Mohammad further advocated policies that integrate maternal and newborn healthcare, saying, “Policies on neonatal care, especially those that integrate maternal and child health, are also essential. Policies such as NHIS coverage for babies within the first 24 hours as part of maternal care can improve survival rates.
“In general, it is important to ensure that the transition between intrauterine life and extrauterine life is handled properly so that babies survive the first 28 days of life. The more newborns survive this period, the better the assessment of the quality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.”
Also, a consultant paediatrician, Dr. Leo Odudu, urged parents and caregivers to ensure proper care during childbirth and immediate postnatal care to prevent neonatal deaths.
PUNCH Healthwise reports that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said 280,000 newborn babies die within the first 28 days of life due to the problems of prematurity.
Speaking during a briefing to commemorate the 2025 World Pneumonia and Prematurity Days, as well as the launch of the Nigerian Child Survival Action Plan and the National Birth Defect Surveillance Guideline, Pate also said the country records 162,000 childhood pneumonia-related deaths annually.
Additionally, the 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics Report released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare showed that Nigeria recorded an estimated 20,811 maternal, neonatal, and under-five deaths between January and September 2025.
“Neonatal deaths increased from 1,706 in Q1 to 1,900 in Q3,” the report said.
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