TN Minister calls for direct monitoring of premature babies to prevent developmental delays

CHENNAI: Stressing the importance of early detection and timely treatment that are essential to address developmental delays and prevent avoidable disabilities, Health and Family Welfare Minister KG Arunraj on Thursday called for direct monitoring of premature and low-birth-weight babies at district early intervention centres.

"Such babies should not merely be referred to these centres but taken there directly for monitoring," he said while addressing a seminar on inclusive early childhood development and the use of artificial intelligence in effective storytelling, organised by the Press Information Bureau, in association with UNICEF here.

Citing National Family Health Survey data, Arunraj said 20.7 per cent of children under five were stunted and 17.4 per cent suffered from severe nutritional deficiencies. Only one in five children aged six months to two years received an adequate diet, he added.

Emphasising the first 1,000 days of life, the minister called for continuous monitoring of children's growth by village health nurses and Anganwadi workers. He also stressed the need to publish data on how many children identified through screening received timely treatment.

Arunraj said Tamil Nadu's infant mortality rate stood at 11 per 1,000 live births, against the national average of 24. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, 805 mobile health teams screen children from birth to 18 years for congenital conditions, developmental delays and diseases, he said.

Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr A Somasundaram stressed the need to train frontline health workers to identify developmental problems during routine immunisation visits. Children with disabilities should be included in society without discrimination, he said.

Separately, Arunraj said the government would announce details of a comprehensive health insurance scheme in January after assessing treatment costs and funding requirements. The government would bear the expenses of treatment received at the nearest hospital within the first 48 hours, he added.

He also said Tamil Nadu has started a pilot study of a dengue vaccine in Kadayanallur to assess its safety and suitability for the State's population.