Lack of drugs, breakdown of equipment

Two-thirds of infant deaths occurred at birth because of low weight (under 2,500 grams) and for preterm deliveries (less than 37 weeks gestation). At the end of the 1980s, the prevalence of low birth weight was 5%, but by 1999 had increased to 23.8%. The increase in prematurity and low birth weight in babies was determined by the malnutrition, deteriorated health and stress of their mothers. 61% of pregnant women suffered from anaemia, and only a quarter got iron and folic acid tablets.

After the post-natal period, the main causes of death were respiratory infections and diarrhoea, as well as those deriving from the dismantling of the public vaccination system, which led to an increase in poliomyelitis (2.9-fold), diphtheria (1.6), whooping cough (3.4), measles (4.5) and mumps (3.7). Before sanctions, Iraq had a 90% child vaccination programme.

The south of the country also witnessed a spectacular increase in foetal loss, congenital malformations, and cancer in children. Everything suggests that this was due to radioactive contamination from the depleted uranium used by the Americans to coat conventional weapons during the Gulf War of 1991 and in later attacks. Given that prenatal diagnosis was not possible, doctors in Basra commented that after delivery mothers did not ask about the sex of their newborns but whether the baby was malformed. This situation continues.