Stillbirth cases double in 2019; ratio five times national, Maharashtra average

NAGPUR: Despite being touted as the medical hub of Central India, cases of stillbirth have doubled in last one year in the city. The figure for stillbirth cases in 2019 is five times the national and state average.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) registered 1,070 stillbirths (death of a baby after 24 weeks of pregnancy and before birth), of which 628 were male and 442 female in 2019. Total number of births was 53,907.Thus, ratio of stillbirth is 19.84 per 1,000 births.

In 2018, the civic body had registered 58,403 births and 495 stillbirths for a ratio of 8.47 per 1,000 births.
As per National Health Policy’s report, stillbirth ratio of the country as well as the state was 4 per 1,000 births in 2017. The government had set a target to bring down stillbirths to single digit by 2025.
Executive member of Vidarbha Hospitals Association Dr Pinak Dande told TOI cases of stillbirth are not a reflection on city’s medical facilities. “Percentage of stillbirth might be high due to migratory labour class and poor people residing in city’s outskirts or in rural areas. It seems to be a social economic problem and not related to medical facilities,” he said.
Deputy director (health) Dr Sanjay Jaiswal said the government’s schemes for registering, monitoring pregnant women, and encouraging delivery only in hospitals is being implemented in a very effective manner. “The government has made a provision for Rs5,000 in three instalments for every pregnant woman. Free delivery facility is available in NMC and government-run hospitals. Stillbirth can be avoided if a single doctor and hospital are fixed for regular check-up and delivery. Need is to visit doctor immediately in case of pain or any problem. Also, pregnant woman should go for check up in given time period by doctors, and avoid social and customary practice of delivery at maternal places if there is a lack of proper medical facilities,” he said.
Each of NMC’s Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) covers 50,000 population in which ASHA workers have to register all pregnant women, monitor and ensure delivery at hospitals only. In case of delivery in NMC-run hospitals, all services are free and mother is given Rs600 for nutritious meals.
Fortunately, city’s infant mortality rate (IMR, i.e. death of a child from day 0 to 1 year) continues to be low. In 2019, the civic body registered 335 cases of which 170 were male and 165 female, for a ratio of 6.2 per 1,000 births.
In 2018, NMC recorded 305 infant mortality cases of which 115 were male and 150 female for a ratio of 5.2 per 1,000 births.
As per National Health Policy, IMR of country was 33 per 1,000 births and state was 19 per 1,000 births in 2017. The central government had set target of 28 per 1,000 births for country in 2019. The state had set target IMR of 10 per 1,000 by 2030.
NMC health and birth registration department under deputy municipal commissioner Ranjan Lade has improved registration of stillbirth and infant mortality in last couple of years. The department has made it mandatory for all hospitals to inform about these cases and also started to compare it with data collected from all crematoriums of the city.