A “Healthy Baby Show” is held with the main aim of creating awareness on the importance of infant care. Parents need to realise that developing a healthy, active and energetic generation should start from the early stages - that is during childhood. According to the Ministry of Health, the infant mortality rate in Brunei Darussalam for the year 2004 was 8.8 per thousand births, whereas deaths among mothers while giving birth was zero point per thousand births.
Nearly two hundred children below the age of 24 months took part in the Healthy Baby Show for the Tutong District in inconjunction with His Majesty’s 59th birthday celebration. The contest was divided into four age categories. The most important criteria in the judging process were the adoption of breast feeding in the process of child rearing. From the Islamic point of view as well as modern health perspective, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babies until they reach the age of two.
Other criteria taken into consideration in the judging process were the aspects of immunisation, hygiene and regular visits to the health clinic. And according to the World Fact book, Angola has the highest infant mortality rate in the world with 187.49 per one thousand live births annually. Brunei Darussalam was the 149th, which was 12.61 per one thousand live births per year.
(25th July 2005)
