Maternal and Child Health in India: UPSC Mains Notes
Why is Maternal and Child Health in India in News?
- NFHS-6 data reported declining exclusive breastfeeding despite significant improvements in institutional deliveries and maternal healthcare programmes.
Exclusive Breastfeeding and Maternal Health in India
- Public Health Importance:
- Exclusive breastfeeding is among the most effective interventions for child survival and healthy development.
- Breast milk protects infants against diarrhoea, respiratory infections, malnutrition and infant mortality.
- WHO and UNICEF recommend initiating breastfeeding within one hour and continuing it exclusively for six months.
- Progress in Maternal Health:
- Institutional deliveries increased to 90.6%, reflecting significant improvements in maternal healthcare services.
- Early initiation of breastfeeding improved from 41.8% to 50.1% according to NFHS-6.
- Declining Breastfeeding Trends:
- Exclusive breastfeeding declined from 63.7% in NFHS-5 to 55.8% in NFHS-6, raising public health concerns.
- Rural-Urban Pattern:
- Rural areas witnessed a sharper decline in exclusive breastfeeding than urban areas.
- Rural rates declined from 65.1% to 56.2%, while urban rates fell from 59.6% to 54.5%.
- Maternal Empowerment Paradox:
- Women’s empowerment improved through greater financial inclusion and higher internet usage.
Challenges in Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding
- Economic Constraints:
- Early return to work due to financial pressure forces mothers to discontinue exclusive breastfeeding.
- Informal sector employment provides limited maternity protection and workplace support.
- Health System Gaps:
- Inadequate postnatal counselling and limited lactation support discourage continued breastfeeding.
- Rising caesarean deliveries make breastfeeding initiation and continuation more difficult without proper guidance.
- Socio-Cultural Changes:
- Migration, changing family structures and weakening traditional support reduce assistance available to new mothers.
- Greater availability of packaged foods and infant formula influences early supplementation.
- Medical Challenges:
- Low milk supply, maternal illness and complications after delivery often affect exclusive breastfeeding.
- Premature and low birth weight infants may require additional nutritional support.
- Policy and Coverage Gaps:
- Existing maternity benefits largely cover the organised sector, excluding most working women.
- Over 16.69 crore women in the unorganised sector receive limited income and workplace protection.
| Government Initiatives for Maternal and Child HealthPradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: Promotes maternal welfare and supports women during pregnancy and childbirth.Integrated Child Development Services: Strengthens maternal nutrition, child health and breastfeeding promotion through community-based services.Lactation Centres: Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres provide counselling and donor human milk when required.Infant Milk Substitutes Act: Restricts commercial promotion of infant formula to protect breastfeeding practices.Maternity Benefit Act: The 2017 amendment provides 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for organised sector women. |
Way Forward
- Informal sector: Extend maternity benefits and workplace protection to women employed outside the organised sector.
- Postnatal support: Strengthen lactation counselling immediately after childbirth, especially following caesarean deliveries.
- Workplace facilities: Improve breastfeeding support through flexible work arrangements and child-friendly workplaces.
- Regulation: Strictly enforce restrictions on aggressive marketing of infant formula and substitutes.
- Community support: Strengthen family and community-based support systems for new mothers during the first six months.
- Policy focus: Align maternal health programmes with economic realities faced by working mothers to improve exclusive breastfeeding.
Source: The Hindu
