Infants suffer in Banyumas

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy are jeopardizing the lives of newborns, the head of the Banyumas regency's health office said here on Wednesday.

M. Iskandar Arifin told The Jakarta Post there were 300 infant mortalities in the first eight months of this year, compared to 467 throughout 1997.

"The mortality rate has sharply increased due to the increase in the number of newborns with below average weight," Iskandar said. He attributed the problems to poor nutrition of pregnant women.

Iskandar said the problem was understandable because many members of the public could not afford food commodities which had soared in price in recent months.

The maternal mortality rate is also increasing. Iskandar said it reached 24 in August, nearing 1997's total of 27 death.

He said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) would grant Rp 3.4 billion in November to support a supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women and schoolchildren. (45)