Abstract
The chapter discusses the transformation in childbirth practices in India, highlighting the increase in institutional births and its impact on maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The proportion of institutional deliveries has significantly risen, indicating a revolution in India’s reproductive landscape. However, the benefits of institutional deliveries are not automatic, and institutional delivery alone may not reduce newborn mortality in areas with poor-quality health systems.
The rise in cesarean rates, particularly in South India, requires further investigation to understand the reasons behind the preference for surgical deliveries. Medically unjustified C-sections are a concern, as they are more expensive and potentially detrimental to both mothers and children. With many unnecessary cesarean deliveries occurring annually in India, addressing this issue requires a comprehensive policy response to check the overuse of C-sections.
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Notes
- 1.
The original NFHS dataset and the spatial analysis methodology are described in detail in Chap. 1.
- 2.
One of the many examples could be Porbandar (Gujarat), where more than 99% of births are delivered in health facilities, but no more than 19% of them via a cesarean procedure.
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Guilmoto, C.Z. (2023). Institutional Delivery and Cesarean Births in India. In: Guilmoto, C.Z. (eds) Atlas of Gender and Health Inequalities in India. Demographic Transformation and Socio-Economic Development, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47847-5_14
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