The “Born with Love” law celebrates its first year of approval today and since its implementation has achieved a reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality, allowing the baby to start breastfeeding during the first hour of life, developing a comprehensive policy in care of maternal and child health, and launching the National Prenatal Education Program.

The said regulation, approved by the Legislative Assembly on August 17, 2021 and in force since last February, both for the public and private health system, was promoted by the first lady of the republic, Gabriela de Bukele.

The official, a perinatal psychologist and prenatal educator with professional experience of more than 15 years, leads the efforts of the government of President Nayib Bukele in matters of maternal and child health, early childhood, childhood and adolescence.

The “Born with Love” law requires comprehensive care for the mother and her baby before, during, and after childbirth, as well as care that health personnel must provide to both the mother and her child during the same time period, ensuring both a safe environment.safe and relaxed.

As of June, last year closed with a maternal mortality rate in El Salvador of 62.9 per 100 live births, but as of June this year it dropped to 18.3 per 100 live births.

The main causes of maternal mortality in 2021 were direct, such as hemorrhage, sepsis, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia. During the implementation period of the “Born with Affection Law” deaths have decreased and most are linked to indirect causes, such as appendicitis and malignant tumors, among others.

Neonatal mortality in 2021 ended with a rate of 5.6. The trend in 2022 is to reduce to 5.05 or less, which “positions El Salvador as one of the countries with the lowest rates in the Central American region.” The main causes are prematurity, infections, and congenital anomalies.

With the entry into force of the legislation, it has also been achieved that 89% of babies born have started breastfeeding during the first hour of life, thus reducing the probability of death for newborns in the first month of life.

On the other hand, the National Prenatal Education Program allows the mother and her companion to be informed, educated, and advised on pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care.

In this context, in the month of breastfeeding, a total of 27 mothers together with their companions participated yesterday in a prenatal education group session held at the San Miguelito Health Unit, in San Salvador, in which the topic was addressed. of breastfeeding.

The office of the first lady, Gabriela de Bukele, develops key actions to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding, as part of the “Born with Love Law”, the first respected childbirth law in Central America and which has earned itrecognition of UNICEF, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

“This session is part of the Prenatal Education Program that is implemented in the context of the Born with Love Law, which comes to contribute with a specific session on breastfeeding,” said Tomás Juárez, prenatal educator.