Stillbirths rose 44% after Covid, national study finds | India News

NEW DELHI: Even as hospital deliveries have resumed post-Covid, India has recorded a sharp rise in babies dying just before birth in the post-pandemic period, according to a large national study analyzing births between 2019 and 2022. The findings point to serious gaps in pregnancy care—losses that are often overlooked and privately lamented.The increase was driven by inadequate antenatal care, delayed referrals and poor pregnancy and delivery services during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers said. The study documented a 44% increase in stillbirth rates between the pre-Covid and post-Covid periods.The study, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, was conducted by researchers from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) with support from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It is based on a nationally representative mortality survey covering nearly one million people across nine states – Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.Data shows that India’s stillbirth rate rose from 12.7 per 1,000 births before Covid to 14.4 during the pandemic and then to 18.3 per 1,000 births in the post-Covid period.The increase was most pronounced in rural areas, where the rate reached about 20 per 1000 people, compared to about 14 in urban areas, highlighting gaps in access to timely prenatal care and emergency obstetric services.Based on detailed interviews of 745 child deaths, the study found that 44.7% died in public hospitals, 39.2% in private hospitals and 16.1% at home. The dominant place of delivery varied sharply across states: most stillbirths were reported from private hospitals in Kerala (66.7%), Gujarat (60%) and Haryana (50%), while government hospitals in Odisha (72.6%), Assam (69.6%), Maharashtra (54.8%), reflecting differences in health systems (54.8%) and Tamilisation. Instead of state-wise stillbirth rates.More than half of the stillbirths occurred at or after nine months of pregnancy, often just days before delivery, indicating late pregnancy monitoring and failure in prenatal care.Explaining this, Dr. Renu Gupta, Director (Obstetrics and Robotic Gynaecology), Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi, said: “Not gaps in early pregnancy care, but timely risk identification and action indicate late stillbirth failure. Post-Covid, third-trimester monitoring—blood pressure, fetal growth and movement, Doppler studies—has become inconsistent, especially in overstretched government hospitals. Referral delays, staff shortages and poor transport systems mean warning signs are often missed. Although delivery numbers have recovered, quality and consistency of care have not, leading to preventable harm just before birth.”Delay was a major factor. About one in five women whose babies were stillborn were referred to maternity facilities, sometimes returned later.Only one-third of mothers were told why their baby had died. Despite mandatory registration, only 1% of stillbirths were officially registered, leaving most cases outside official records.The study also highlighted the emotional toll on families. About half of the mothers never saw or held their dead baby, often because of family decisions or medical advice.Researchers warn that without prenatal surveillance, rapid referrals and better quality care during labor and delivery, India could miss the single-digit stillbirth rate target under the India Newborn Action Plan by 2030.