Maternal Care

Digital platform launched to strengthen maternal, child healthcare services

The Union Health Ministry has launched a digital platform aimed at strengthening maternal and child healthcare services through seamless tracking of beneficiaries, real-time monitoring and interoperable health records. Launched during the national summit on Innovation and Inclusivity Best Practices Shaping India's Health Future, JANANI (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care) is a service-oriented digital platform designed to comprehensively monitor and maintain digital health records of women during their reproductive years, a health ministry statement. Developed as an upgraded version of the existing Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal, the platform creates a longitudinal health record by capturing service delivery events across the continuum of care, the statement said. JANANI will facilitate continuous tracking of maternal and child healthcare services, including antenatal care, delivery preparedness, institutional delivery, postnatal care, newborn care,

India among countries with highest total maternal deaths in 2023: Analysis

India was among the countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with the highest number of maternal deaths in 2023 of 24,700, translating to a maternal mortality ratio of 116 per one lakh livebirths, according to a new global analysis published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women's Health journal. Estimates suggest that Pakistan saw a total of 10,300 maternal deaths the same year, while the African countries of Ethiopia and Nigeria had 11,900 and 32,900 maternal deaths, respectively. Researchers, led by those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and global collaborators, noted that though maternal deaths have declined over the past three decades, progress has slowed in recent years and remains uneven across countries. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 research provides the most up-to-date global assessment of maternal mortality trends across 204 countries and territories through 2023, they said. According

Time to address issue of maternal autonomy, foetal rights: Delhi HC

It is time that lawmakers address the question of delineating the balance between maternal autonomy and foetal rights at the stage of viability, the Delhi High Court has observed. 'Foetal viability' refers to the stage where a foetus can survive outside the womb. The court observed that with the increasing number of cases seeking termination of pregnancy beyond the statutory limit, the question of foetal viability has assumed considerable importance in abortion jurisprudence and the ultimate responsibility to settle the matter rests with the law-making authority. Constitutional courts have, in the absence of legislative clarity, sought to balance competing interests through case-specific adjudication. However, the absence of a clear statutory framework leaves the matter unsettled, the high court said. The high court made the observations while allowing a 15-year-old minor girl to undergo medical termination of pregnancy of 27 weeks, which was a result of sexual assault committed up

PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan marks 9 years, MRR declines by 50 points

Uttar Pradesh has the most pregnant women in the second or third trimester receiving antenatal care under the scheme

Your teen's mental health may be tied to what their mother endures at home

A new India-focused study reveals how domestic abuse faced by mothers leave lasting scars on the mental health of their adolescent children, often in hidden, heartbreaking ways

India cuts maternal, infant deaths: MMR, IMR and NMR show big gains

India has made progress in reducing maternal and child deaths, with SRS 2021 data showing declines in MMR, IMR, U5MR and NMR-and improving sex ratio, TFR, and SDG alignment

India sees improvement in maternal, child health, says 2021 SRS report

India has witnessed a significant improvement in key maternal and child health indicators between 2014 and 2021, according to a Health Ministry statement. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined by 37 points from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 93 in 2019-21, the statement mentioned, citing the Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2021 released by the Registrar General of India (RGI) on Wednesday. Similarly, the downward trend of child mortality indicators continued. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has dropped from 39 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 27 per 1000 live births in 2021. The Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) has declined from 26 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 19 per 1000 live births in 2021. Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) has also improved, dropping from 45 in 2014 to 31 per 1000 live births in 2021. The Sex Ratio at Birth also improved between 2014 and 2031, getting better from 899 to 913, respectively. Total Fertility Rate is consistent at 2.0 in 2021

Tech firms translate heartbeats on phones, use AI to boost maternal health

Today one can monitor and blood glucose on smartphones, Using AI, one can address shortage of expertise in reading ultrasounds to allow for healthier pregnancies and better outcomes for moms & babies

Nearly 1.8 million unsafe abortions averted in 2019, says Harsh Vardhan

Vardhan, while chairing a virtual meeting on the occasion of World Population Day, also said that this was achieved due to substantial investment in the family planning programme

White Ribbon Alliance encouraging dignified maternal care for women

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, India, is advocating proper and basic quality care at health centre facilities for women

Delaying pregnancies could work better than sterilisation for India

Practised on a larger scale, delayed childbearing could significantly curtail population growth

India's wealthy urban women opt for caesarean sections; poor left out

Nearly five women die every hour in India from complications during childbirth

US charity raises $60,000 for maternal, infant care in India

According to a recent WHO report, approximately 28 million pregnancies, 67,000 maternal deaths and a million neonatal deaths occur every year in India