Washington, Aug 31: A new study has found that more than half of all neonatal mortality - deaths in newborns, aged 3 weeks and under - in 2009 occurred in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Furthermore, over the past 20 years, more than 4 percent of all babies born live in India died during the first month of life.

These shocking findings come from a comprehensive and detailed analysis led by Mikkel Z Oestergaard, from the World Health Organization and partners.

The authors also estimate that although the global neonatal mortality rate decreased from 33.2 to 23.9 deaths per 1000 live births, neonatal mortality rate actually increased in eight countries, five of which were in Africa.

Furthermore, in Africa as a whole, progress in improving neonatal mortality rates is slow and has only decreased by less than 1percent per year, from 43.6 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 35.9 per 1000 live births in
2009.

Yet most neonatal deaths are preventable.

"The majority of neonatal deaths could be prevented with existing interventions including some that can be delivered at community level with potential to reduce neonatal deaths by one-third, such as improved hygiene at birth, breastfeeding, and simple approaches to keeping babies warm," the authors said.

The findings were published in this week's PLoS Medicine. (ANI)