New Babies Usher in a Decade of Hope
Welcoming Viet Nam’s New Babies to a New Decade from Kon Tum, Viet Nam
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In Viet Nam, significant progress has been made over the past 25 years in improving survival rates for children under five years of age. Between 1990 and 2018, deaths per 1,000 live births reduced from 52 to 21.
It is estimated that 47 newborns die every day in Viet Nam. Most are from preventable causes.
Infant mortality rates in the North and Central Highlands remain high and in some provinces, such as Lai Chau and Kon Tum, the rates are three times higher than the national average.
Simple interventions such as skilled birth attendance to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth; early essential newborn care; early initiation of breastfeeding; and kangaroo-mother care for premature and low weight babies can save lives of women and their infants.
UNICEF thanks the Ministry of Health for prioritizing and scaling up these interventions. Now, we need further investment so that these lifesaving interventions reach the hardest-to-reach in remote and mountainous areas.
UNICEF supports local government to give Viet Nam’s babies in integrated early childhood development project areas the best start in life with a safe birth, good healthcare, advice on nutrition and sanitation, a quality education and a protective environment so that they can thrive. From January 2020, we’ll follow these babies and their family every 6 months as we document their journey, share their joys and mark their milestones.
Meet Hao, the first baby boy born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam
“I shed tears when I saw my wife in pain during birth. I held her hand all the time in hospital to comfort and encourage her. When I heard my son cry for the first time, I felt overjoyed to be a father,” said his 27-year old father, Ho.
Named after his father in the hope that he would be as strong, little Hao was born naturally and safely in Dak-glei district hospital on January 1. Not all babies are this lucky. 50% of babies in Kon Tum province are still born at home – as is traditional in the Gie Trieng ethnic group. Hao’s mother told us, “I chose to give birth in hospital because both me and my first child will be safer. I am grateful for the care and counselling I received from the commune health workers and hospital staff throughout my pregnancy and during delivery. My child was given the Hepatitis B vaccine right after the birth, and I was taught how to hold my baby, and how to breastfeed him. But I don’t think I have enough knowledge and skills to raise my son. I would love to know more, especially how to feed him well, and how to treat him when he is sick. I know that UNICEF’s integrated early childhood development project has parenting sessions and I want to join them to build my skills and be a better parent to my son.”
Understanding these difficulties, Hao’s father shared, “Now, I try to help my wife and my son whenever I can. I cook for them and I also help Y O to bathe our son."
Meet Dang Thi Bao Tran, the first baby girl born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam
“Our baby girl is a gift from God to my family,” beamed Sang, mother of little Dang Thi Bao Tran – a Vietnamese name that means ‘precious’ and ‘cherished’. And she certainly is.
Born on the first day of the new decade in Tan Lap Commune, Kon Ray District, Kon Tum Province in Viet Nam, her parents’ hope is for her to “grow up healthy." And she’s off to a strong start. Safely delivered in Kon Tum hospital, Bao Tran was born by Caesarean section – a delivery that concluded a healthy pregnancy in which Sang received regular pre-natal check-ups at the city hospital and guidance from the village midwife throughout the nine months, thanks to UNICEF support.
Baby Bao Tran’s arrival is a milestone for her happy parents whose love story dates back to their childhood.
"We met in elementary school and went to high school together, so we understand each other very well." Smiling, Sang said, "Canh, my husband, is a commune police officer so during the day time, he’s very busy but when he comes back home, he tries everything he can to help take care of our child. During night time, if our baby cries, he's always the first one to wake up to take care of our baby.”
“I wish to learn more about parenting skills to better take care of my baby girl. I am very worried about her being sick,” Sang added.
As an elementary school teacher, Sang is also busy with her work but told us that she would “…like to read parenting guidelines on websites or mobile apps. For now, I only know about the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding.”
Meet Nguyễn Hoàng Sunny, the first baby girl born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam
January 1 was, quite literally, a day of sunshine in Tan Lap Commune, Kon Ray District, Kon Tum Province in Viet Nam, when baby Nguyễn Hoàng Sunny arrived. Translated from Vietnamese, her name means ‘The Little Sunshine’, and she is the third daughter in her family.
“I had a hard time with Sunny compared to my first two children,” said her mother, To Thoai Thuy Nu. “The doctor said that Sunny had the ‘umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice’, so it was difficult to give birth to her naturally. The doctor asked if I wanted to have a normal birth or Caesarean birth. I said that if possible, I wanted to give birth to my baby naturally. I went to the city hospital four times to give birth to Sunny; she was born a few days later than my schedule. In the end, I was very happy that I could give birth naturally to Sunny without any problems.”
Because of what she learned in her previous pregnancies and the sensitivities of her pregnancy with Sunny, Nu went for regular prenatal checks. They have has encouraged her to learn more. Now, she wants to know more about children’s brain development in the earliest years of life, and childcare skills so that her children will grow up smarter and reach their full potential. With her first two children, her and her husband relied on advice from parents, neighbours and friends – but this focused mostly on how to feed children and keep them healthy. Grateful at the time, now Sunny's mother thinks this was not enough nor was it up-to-date knowledge. She is looking forward to learning more in the UNICEF-supported parenting classes.
Nu’s wish for her daughter is one which parents everywhere will understand – “I wish that Sunny grows up healthy, kind, and shines as the beautiful name that my husband and I have given to her.”
Meet A Ka Thanh, the first baby boy born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam
A Ka Thanh, a baby boy from the Bana ethnic group was born at 8am on the 1st of January 2020. Thanh was the first baby born in the new decade in Dak To Re commune, Kon Ray district, Kon Tum province in Viet Nam.
“Thanh is our third child. The two previous children were girls. I am very happy to give birth to this baby boy. Thanh means ‘success’. I hope that when he grows up, he will be a successful man,”
Thanh's mother, Ms Y Duch happily shared.
In consultation with the commune health worker, Y Duch had three prenatal checkups during her pregnancy.
“The commune health workers told me that I should give birth at the commune health center or the provincial hospital to have a safe delivery for both mother and baby. But I followed our Bana culture and gave birth at home like I did with my first two children. I delivered Thanh with the help of the village midwife,” Y Duch told us.
In 2019, the number of ethnic children born at home numbered half of all newborns in Dak Re commune. This figure is lower than in 2018. Thanks to UNICEF-supported healthcare and parenting classes, and the active roles and advice of the commune health workers to the Bana ethnic minority people, more and more ethnic minority women choose to give birth at health centres to get the best care for them and their babies.
“I’m hoping that my baby grows up healthy and does well in school. It's up to him to do what he wants,” Y Duch says. “My husband helps me wash clothes, cooks meals for me and takes care of the children but I still wish him to drink less and help me and our children more”, Y Duch said in a low voice. “Based on the experience of parenting I have with my first two children, I will do the same with Thanh. I don't know much about parenting project activities yet so I would like to be able to participate in classes to know more on parenting to take care of my children better. I also wish my child to be fully immunized so he does not get sick.”
Meet Trinh Le Mai Anh, the first baby girl born in 2020 from Gia Lai, Viet Nam
Trinh Le Mai Anh is the second child in the family but her mother tells us, “The first letter of her name is ‘A’ so, her name will always be the first in all lists of names. I hope she learns well and is always the top of everything and is better than the boys.”
As the first baby born in Kon Long Khong commune, K’Bang district, Gia Lai province in Viet Nam, Mai Anh’s propensity for being first in life is off to a strong start.
But Lê Thị Phương’s pregnancy wasn’t easy.
“I had foetal derangement from the third month of pregnancy. I didn’t do anything, just rested for 5 months. I worried a lot during that time. I had regular health check-ups in the commune health center and district hospital, thanks to UNICEF’s support. I was so happy when I gave birth at the district hospital,” said Phương. Since then, Mai Anh has been true to her name which translates to ‘gentleness.’
“Our elder child is daughter. My mother-in-law hopes to have a grandson. She has seven grandchildren but not one of them is a boy,” added Phương. “For me, a daughter or a son are the same. My husband loves Mai Anh very much. He calls her ‘his princess’.”
When asked about raising her child, Phương said, “I know about exclusive breastfeeding. It means to breastfeed the baby exclusively for the first 6 months -- no water, no formula milk, no food. I also breastfed my baby right after giving birth. But, I want to know more about parenting knowledge and skills to raise my baby in the best way.” Mai Anh’s mother hopes that her daughter is always on the top of everything and has good learning conditions in which to thrive. She said, “Children in rural and mountainous areas are always more disadvantaged than children in the cities. I want Mai Anh to learn English and have other advantages so that she can develop her talents to the full. For example, singing, dancing, and arts”.