Birth Anomalies: 6L kids born with anomalies per year but no national registry to track them | India News
New Delhi: Every year, around 6 lakh babies are born with congenital anomalies in India. Yet, the country has no national registry to track them.As infectious mortality rates decline, congenital conditions now account for a growing share of child deaths, experts say, making gaps in surveillance and coordinated care increasingly urgent. According to recent estimates, India contributes 16% of global deaths due to birth defects.On Monday, Smile Train India and Birth Defects Research Foundation launched the Birth Anomalies Network of India (BIND) to push for prevention, early diagnosis and long-term care. The platform was unveiled in New Delhi.Central to its agenda is a proposed National Congenital Anomaly Registry to generate reliable nationwide data, identify preventable risk factors, and guide health planning. Experts acknowledge that current surveillance is fragmented, screening uneven and referral pathways weak, especially outside metropolitan cities.Congenital heart disease, cleft lip and palate, spina bifida, clubfoot, Down syndrome and visual and hearing impairment form a significant part of the burden. Many are treatable if caught early, but multidisciplinary care is rarely integrated into routine neonatal care. Mamata Carroll, vice president and regional director, Asia, Smile Train, says birth anomalies are not recognized in public discourse.
