CHILDBIRTH PRACTICES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY AMONG INDIAN MUSLIM COMMUNITY

<p>In India, even though the progress is notable, the annual rate of MMR decline is less than half of what is needed to achieve the MDG5 target. A little bit of care and awareness is sufficient to prevent this tragedy. Place of delivery and person who conducted child delivery are an important indicator in monitoring progress towards MDG5. With this perspective, present study with an objective to find out delivery practices among Indian Muslims. Data were drawn from 30944 Muslim women who reported information about their last delivery at DLHS-3. Though a considerable proportion of Muslim women received the ANC care (any ANC- 60percent, 71.7percent made 3 ANC visits and 61percent consumed 90IFA tablets), around sixty percent of them preferred home deliveries and two-third of these deliveries were attended by DAI and 24percent of deliveries were managed by friends/relatives. Proportions of home deliveries were higher among rural women (67.9percent), illiterates (75.8percent), lowest WI quintile (86.2percent), and higher birth order babies (80.7percent). Around 37percent reported, visiting health facilities is not necessary and only 12percent reported health facilities are far way. Logistic regression result found hospital deliveries increase sharply with socio-economic status of the women especially higher educated mother (4.7 times) and richest women (5.1times). In the light of above results, greater availability of MCH services will not alone solve problem of low institutional delivery rates. Therefore, the implementing agencies should focus on the religious constraints which prevent the institutional deliveries and that need to be addressed urgently.