These simple measures may make all the difference. Other common complications like hypothermia and feeding problems, especially in low birth weight babies, are likely to lead to death unless promptly recognised and remedied. All these skills can be taught to any intelligent adult woman, especially if she is motivated. It is currently a matter of concern that the Infant Mortality Rate has become 58 per 1000 live births in 1998, while it was 53 in 1997 and 1996. Exclusive breast feeding of the infant till 4 to 6 months is very important to maintain the nutrition and growth of the baby and to prevent diarrheal diseases.
Infants tend to falter in the rate of weight gain from the time of weaning.
This is due more to the lack of understanding of Nutrition than the lack of food items in the household. The worker involved with the prevention of Neonatal Mortality could also be entrusted with assissting mothers with Breast feeding and proper weaning as well as Growth Monitoring to detect any deviation from the normal pattern. The same worker could oversee the full immunisation of the infant. Such a Village level worker, if present in a population of 1000 people, will have to supervise the birth and growth of approximately 20 babies per annum. The Anganwadi provides the necessary food items for weaning as well as Nutritional Supplementation of Preschool Children.