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Rajasthan Program Boosts Baby Health
22 Jul
Summary
- Programme linked to 7.4% less low birthweight babies.
- Mothers gained an average of 3.4 kg during pregnancy.
- Study focused on tribal communities in southern Rajasthan.
A maternal nutrition program in Rajasthan, India, integrating conditional cash transfers with counseling, has been linked to improved birth outcomes. The initiative targeted women in tribal districts, showing a 7.4 percentage-point reduction in low birthweight among over 90,000 newborns.
This 'Cash Plus' program also facilitated an average 3.4 kg weight gain for mothers by the third trimester and an increase in mean birth weight by approximately 70 grams. These findings are crucial for India, which faces a high burden of low birthweight and maternal undernutrition.
The study, published in Nature Health, used routine health records from southern Rajasthan between January 2021 and August 2024. It suggests that combining financial support with information and community engagement empowers women to improve their nutrition.
While observational, the research provides valuable large-scale evidence from a government-led intervention. The study was a collaboration between researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, IPE Global, IIHMR Jaipur, and the Government of Rajasthan.
