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India: Hospital Births Rise, Breastfeeding Rates Fall
2 Aug
Summary
- Institutional deliveries increased to 90.6% in 2023-24.
- Exclusive breastfeeding rates declined to 55.8% in 2023-24.
- C-section rates significantly increased to 27.2%.
Maternal healthcare indicators in India show a positive trend, with institutional deliveries rising to 90.6% and postnatal check-ups covering 82.8% of mothers in the latest NFHS-6 survey (2023-24). This progress occurred alongside a notable increase in C-section deliveries, which climbed to 27.2% between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6.
Conversely, exclusive breastfeeding rates have seen a sharp decline. After increasing to 63.7% in NFHS-5, the rate fell back to 55.8% in NFHS-6, erasing nearly a decade of gains within just three years.
Analysis of state-level data reveals that the decline is not uniform; it is more pronounced in populous states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. These states experienced the steepest falls, significantly impacting the national average.
Potential factors contributing to this trend include inadequate support services post-lockdown, women returning to informal work without maternity benefits, and the impact of increased C-section rates on early breastfeeding initiation. Further analysis of individual-level data is needed to confirm these causes.
