On the first day of 2020, over 67 thousand babies were born in India, which makes it the country with the highest number of newborns on New Year's Eve: UNICEF study.
Of the 392 thousand newborns in the world, 67,385 (up to 17%) were from India.
China ranked second with 46,299 newborns, followed by Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia and the United States with 26,039; 16,787; 13,020 and 10,452 newborns, respectively.
A doctor from New Delhi reported that many mothers choose to schedule cesarean section because they want their child to be born the first of the new year. They believe it is a good luck to welcome their bundle of joy into a new year.
According to UNICEF's forecast, the first baby was born shortly after midnight in Fiji islands, while the last baby was born in the United States.
Along with the number of newborns, the United Nations agency also published a data showing the number of infants that did not survive the first months of their life. In 2018, at least 2.5 million infants died of which a third died within hours after the birth.
Medical experts point that within five years, about 47% of babies die in the first month of their life. Premature births, neonatal infections and complications during delivery are some of the most common reasons for death.
UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore said "Too many mothers and babies are not treated by trained nurses and midwives. We could ensure the survival of millions of children in this decade and beyond, if each of them was birthed by expert hands."
