CHENNAI: In Tamil Nadu, people need not be incentivised to go to a government institution for child-birth. In what is considered as one of the best figures in the country, Tamil Nadu has achieved 99.8% institutionalised child-birth and about 67% of child birth takes place in government institutions.The state government has decided to look beyond this.Every child born in a government hospital in Tamil Nadu will now be given a Free "Amma Baby Care Kit". Every toddler in government hospitals in any part of the state will be provided with a baby kit containing a Baby towel, Dress, bed, mosquito net, napkin, 100 ml oil box, 60 ml shampoo, soap, soap box, nail-cutter, baby rattle, toys, 250 ML hygienic oil, mother soap 100 gm, and Sowbaghya Leghyam for the mother.Now, this is why the freebie is definitely not just another roll out--Tamil Nadu has one of the best infant mortality rates in the country at 21 per 1000. The state stands third in the country in terms of maternity mortality rate. Experts agree that these rates in mortality are expected to drastically drop the moment the most important factor--hygiene--enters rural and under-privileged sections of the state.``We are not just competing to get the best numbers of infant mortality rate in the country but our ultimate aim is to beat the existing statistics in a place like Singapore where the infant mortality rate is just 1.7%,'' a senior health department official who did not want to be named said.The official said that "the message will go loud and clear in the remotest part of the state that it is important for both the mother and the baby to maintain certain standards of hygiene immediately after child birth and this kit will do just that."Sources in the state health department add that things like nail-clipper becomes so important in the kit because studies have shown that it is common in rural areas for the mother to bite off the finger nails of her new born baby, and this is extremely unhygienic.A rattler has also been included in the kit because there have been complaints of parents coming to the government hospital about a couple of years after child birth complaining that the child is inattentive or not responsive to sights and sounds. "The rattler will help poor parents monitor the milestones of their baby's growth and development. It will also help in the stimulation visual and auditory response of the baby at a very early stage," the official said.Even small things like wrapping the baby in a clean cotton towel immediately after birth can make a big difference to neo-natal care in rural areas and among people who cannot afford to buy it, according to the official.UK trained paediatrician and neonatologist practicing in suburban Chennai Dr Rohit K Bharadwaj said "The package by itself will make a huge difference among the under-privileged who currently maintain very low standards of hygene here. The concept of using a clean cloth to wipe the new-born is something parents will not develop even if we doctors advice them. This is bound to change that, provided the parents use all these things that are given to them."While Dr Bharadwaj agrees that this could help bring down the number of infant mortality, what is also equally important is to improve the infrastructrue and resources around government institutions for maternity and child care.''``The lack of infrastructure is so bad in some hospitals even the ventilators for the babies are dysfunctional. A ventilator for babies will cost around Rs 5 lakh and if the government spends a few crore rupees it can ensure ventilators for all its hospitals which would show an immediate impact in infant mortality rates,'' Dr Bharadwaj added.