UNICEF estimates 116m babies born under COVID-19 pandemic

Geneva: On the eve of Mother’s Day, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has estimated that 116 million babies will be born under the cloud of COVID-19.

New mothers and newborns will experience global containment measures such as lockdowns and curfews, overwhelmed health centres, supply and equipment shortages, and a lack of sufficient skilled birth attendants, said the UNICEF on Thursday. Some 128 countries mark Mother’s Day this year on May 10.