Newborn tetanus

Is newborn tetanus worse than usual anywhere?

Too little to compare in any country this week.

Newborn tetanus is a serious illness in babies in their first month. It is caused by a germ (bacterium) that lives in soil, dust and animal poo.

Signs: A baby who stops being able to suck or breastfeed and cries a lot, then becomes stiff and has muscle spasms.
How it spreads: The germ gets into the baby through the cut cord, when the cord is cut with an unclean tool or dirty material is put on it. It does not spread between people.
How to protect yourself: Vaccinate girls and women against tetanus, including during pregnancy, to protect their babies. Give birth with clean hands, clean tools and a clean surface, and keep the cord clean.
Get medical help: Tetanus is an emergency. Take a baby who stops feeding, goes stiff or has spasms to hospital at once.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: WHO fact sheet: Tetanus, read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.

Sources. Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division, National Institutes of Health, Islamabad, weekly report.