Salyan, March 17 -- When Anjana DC, 25, gave birth to her first child at Salyan District Hospital in late January, the newborn was immediately transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The child was born with a complicated condition. On the third day at the unit, the child died.

"Only I know the pain and guilt of losing my firstborn," said DC, who is from ward 7 of Baghchaur Municipality in Salyan. "I belong to a working-class family, and I feel guilty for failing to provide necessary care during pregnancy."

DC said she was speechless when the doctors asked her why she had missed her routine pregnancy check-ups. That had led the baby to suffer complications, which could have been averted if they had been discovered earlier.

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