Battling home births continues to be challenge in Malappuram

Kozhikode: Kerala has long topped the country in terms of health indices, including the lowest maternal and infant mortality rates. Health department still faces a challenge in the form of home deliveries, especially in Malappuram, as it is yet to eliminate this practice despite strong efforts.
As many as 253 home deliveries took place in Malappuram in 2023-24 and in 2024-25 the figure stood at 155 till Jan. While Malappuram accounted for 253 home deliveries in 2023-24, the combined figure for the other 13 districts was 270. As per health department figures, there were nine neonatal deaths in Kerala from Apr to Dec 2024. An infant died in one such case in Oct 2024 at Tanalur in Malappuram. Although the death was reported to the police, no action was taken.
Malappuram district medical officer Dr R Renuka said the department was doing everything to curb home deliveries. She said there are some people who mislead others claiming that home birth is a natural process and there was no necessity to go to a hospital where the delivery could culminate in c-section.
"We had made safe hospital delivery the theme for our Health Day observance and rallies were to be held in 639 janakeeya arogya kendras in the district on Monday when this incident took place. Though religion is not a factor in adopting this practice, there are people who are attempting to use the cover of religion to mislead people," she said.
District health department said that junior public health nurses and ASHAs were consistently visiting homes where they suspected home delivery possibilities and directives were issued to seek the help of ward members, women and child development department and police if the family was uncooperative.
In an RTI reply provided to activist and lawyer Kulathur Jaisingh recently, department had said that in cases where there were interventions, only a small percentage of the women agreed to hospital deliveries.
Department sources said some individuals, who are offering home deliveries by utilizing traditional midwives, naturopathy and acupuncture, claimed that deliveries would be less painful under the acupuncture method. Sources said most home deliveries were conducted after prior planning and most of the kids born at home were not provided mandatory immunizations.
Sources said that a WhatsApp group in Tanalur was linked to 21 home deliveries and in many cases the mother and infant were shifted to private post-delivery care facilities two days after delivery. During a meeting, a medical officer at Edavanna said some people were exploiting beliefs, adding that there were people who offered packages charging up to Rs 2 lakh for delivery and post- delivery care. At the same time, there were instances where people engaged midwives by spending around Rs 3000.
Dr K Prathiba, a medical officer from Tanur who had filed a case in HC demanding that govt should issue guidelines to control home deliveries, said home deliveries are risky for mother and child. She said possible complications like excessive bleeding, hypertension, infections and irregular foetal heartbeat can be dangerous if not treated properly.