By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Religion has an affect when it comes choosing where to deliver baby, according to a study published in the latest volume of scientific journal BMC Public Health.
The study analysed the data released by National Family Health Survey –II for the state of Maharashtra. It found that 20% of Muslim women deliver at home while 80% find either public or private health care facility to deliver their babies. On the other hand, 43% of Hindu women deliver at home, 27% at public hospitals and 30% in private health care facilities.
Of Muslim women delivering at health centers, about 37% of Muslim women deliver at public hospitals and 43% at private health care facilities such as nursing homes. The study also revealed that Muslim women have lesser odds while delivering at home when compared with Hindu women.
Place of delivery has a direct affect on maternal health and infant mortality. Delivery assisted by a health care professional means that there is a better chance of survival of mother and the new born. In India only 34% of deliveries are performed in a medical institution. India is the world leader in maternal deaths.
Researchers of this study did not offer any explanation for higher rate of Muslim women choosing not to deliver at home. But if this is true for data for all India then this will explain why infant mortality rate is lower for Muslims.
In Maharashtra, 52.6% of deliveries take place at medical institutions. Usually people living in urban area have better access to health care institutions. Maharashtra is one of the states where majority of Muslims live in urban areas. This might explain why more deliveries for Muslims are not at home. But it is surprising given that Maharashtra has one of the highest rates of urban poverty incidence (48%) for Muslims. For all Maharashtrians urban poverty incidence is only 20%.
The present study also found that scheduled caste/tribe women are also more likely to deliver at home. Increase in maternal age, greater education of parents leads to use of private facilities.