Donate Now For ‘Swasth Box’, A Kit To Meet Health Needs Of New Mothers And Children

The 'Swasth Box' was unveiled by the campaign ambassador Amitabh Bachchan at the launch of the NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth India Campaign on August 19.

The health and nutrition kit provided in the 'Swasth Box' has been developed based on technical know-how and years of on-ground experience of Smile Foundation working with less privileged and hard to access communities.

The box consists of hygiene and health essentials for new mothers and children.

The kit is equipped to support the new mother and child during first 45 days which is the most crucial time for both of them.

The 'Swasth Box' for mothers and children contains Hypothermia Alert Device that monitors the newborn's temperature continuously for one month to fight Hypothermia, a condition common among the new-borns. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when the baby's body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing dangerously low body temperatures. The device is in shape of a bracelet that can be put out around the wrist of the baby. The device alerts the parents through an alarm when the baby's temperature drops. The temperature can be normalised again by holding the baby and providing it skint-to-skin touch (Kangaroo care).

The kit also contains Hand Sanitiser, bar soap, Dettol wipes, baby nail cutter, iron tablets, calcium tablets, zinc, and Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) to provide hygiene and nutrition to the mother and child. As per experts, in rural areas, due to lack of baby nail cutters, mother tend to bite baby's nails off which can be extremely harmful for the baby due to the presence of toxins and germs in human teeth.

The kit also contains a baby blanket, baby wrap, socks, cap and a medicated mosquito net to help keep the babies warm and protect them from vector borne diseases. It also has a small booklet on neonatal and child care which also covers topic like family planning methods, Colostrum feeding, exclusive breastfeeding, cord care, hand washing technique, danger signs for new born, nutrition for mother.

At the launch of the Banega Swachh India campaign, Amitabh Bachchan called for raising awareness about the importance of hygiene and nutrition during the first 1000 days starting from the day the baby is conceived, for a happy and healthy future of the mother and the child.

He said, 'Only a swachh (clean) India and be a swasth (healthy) India' and pledged to donate 100 'Swasth boxes' which inspired Celebrity Chef and Nutritionist Sanjeev Kapoor to do the same.

To donate and contribute towards building a healthy nation by supporting the campaign, find more details on: Donate Here For 'Swasth Box'