Maternal deaths fall yet post‑birth care for Indian mothers remains scarce

What Happened

India’s maternal mortality ratio fell to 87 per 100,000 live births in 2022‑2024, yet most new mothers receive little follow‑up after leaving the hospital. Only 82.8% get a check within two days, a visit that often occurs before discharge, and the national data do not track the remaining three WHO‑recommended postnatal contacts. A systematic review of 26 studies on 8.7 million women found that 25% of maternal deaths happen between days 8 and 42, the period when mothers are at home.

Reaction

The rise in caesarean sections—from 21.5% in NFHS‑5 to 27.2% in NFHS‑6—means more women recover from major abdominal surgery without extended household help. Home‑Based Newborn Care assigns ASHA workers visits on days 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42; only days 3, 7 and 42 are meant to cover the mother, checking for bleeding, fever, foul discharge, cracked nipples and engorged breasts. The checklist omits blood‑pressure checks, mental‑health screening, anemia testing and follow‑up glucose tests. A Gujarat study of 403 women showed that low social support more than doubles the odds of post‑natal depression, highlighting the gap in professional assessment.

Context

India’s health system records delivery and newborn outcomes in detail, but maternal recovery after discharge remains largely invisible, often labeled “normal” by families.

What’s Next

Experts call for a designated provider to document maternal follow‑up, an expanded ASHA checklist, and integration of primary‑care checks for blood pressure, anemia, mood and glucose levels. Until such steps are measured, many mothers will continue to manage complications in silence.