Lok Sabha Question No. 1385 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Depression among Pregnant Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1385

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2023

## DEPRESSION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

## 1385.  DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is fact that depression is on the rise among pregnant women;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has got the reasons probed in this regard;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along with the corrective steps being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  will  launch  any  special  campaign  to  prevent depression among pregnant women and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d):   Public health and hospitals are State Subject. However, Government of India  has  issues  various  guidelines  to  State/  UTs  to  prevent  depression  among pregnant women. As per guidelines, Antenatal care and Skilled Attendance at Birth by Auxiliary  Nurse  Midwife  (ANM)/  Lady  Health  Visitors  (LHVs)/  Staff  Nurses  (SNs) provide social/ Psychological support to pregnant women. In post-partum period, four Post Natal Care (PNC) visits are conducted by ANM for ascertaining the well-being of baby and the mother. 1 st  visit is conducted within 24 hours in case of home deliveries, 2 nd  visit is conducted on 3 rd  day of the delivery, 3rd visit is conducted on 7 th  day and 4 th  visit is conducted 6 weeks after delivery. During her 2nd and 3rd visits, the ANM assesses and counsels all the post-natal women for any post-partum depression and refers to the Medical Officer for further management if required.  Further, Government is  implementing  Home  Based  New  Born  Care  (HBNC)  programme,  under  which ASHAs conduct 7 home visits on the 1st day (within 24hrs), 3rd day, 7th day, 14th day,21st day, 28th day and 42nd day to check the mother and new-born, for their wellbeing.  In  case  of  institutional  delivery,  RMNCHA+N  Counsellor/  SN  provides counselling to mother.

Further, under Supplementary Nutrition Programme of the Anganwadi Services Scheme, nutritional assistance is provided to the pregnant women and the newborn in all  districts  of  the  country  including  Aspirational Districts. As per the National Food Security Act, 2013 enacted by the Government, every pregnant woman and lactating mother is entitled to receive meals during pregnancy and six months after the child birth  through  the  local  Anganwadi  Centre  so  as  to  meet  the  nutritional  standards. Further, it is provided in the Act that for children below the age of six months, exclusive breast feeding shall be promoted.

In  addition,  'Mission  Shakti'  has  been  launched  by  the  Ministry  for  safety, security and empowerment of women. The earlier scheme of 'Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)' implemented by the Ministry since 01.01.2017 has been included as a component under 'Samarthya' sub-scheme of 'Mission Shakti', in which the maternity benefit to Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) in DBT Mode is provided during pregnancy and lactation.  For the first child, Rs. 5000/- is provided  and Rs.6,000/- is also provided for the second child, provided the second child is a girl child, to discourage pre-birth sex selection and promote the girl child. Moreover, in  cases of  miscarriage/  still  birth  in  the  first  pregnancy,  the  beneficiary would  be  considered  as  a  fresh  case  in  2nd  pregnancy  and  would  be  eligible  for maternity benefits under PMMVY. The eligible beneficiary also receives the remaining cash  incentive  as  per  approved  norms  towards  Maternity  Benefit  under  Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery so that on an average, a woman gets ₹ 6000/-.

Furthermore,  recognizing  the  need  for  psycho-social  counseling  to  women affected by violence and in distress, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has engaged the services of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) for providing basic and advanced training under the project named 'Stree Manoraksha' to the staff of One Stop Centers (OSCs) across the country on handling psycho-social and mental health care needs to support to such women.

The Government, through institution like the National Commission for Women (NCW), and their  counterparts  in  States  have  been  spreading  awareness  through seminars, workshops, audio-visual, print and electronic media etc.  to  sensitize  the people  about  the  women  in  distress  and  also  about  various  provisions  of  the legislation, etc.  During second wave of COVID 19 in April 2021, National Commission for  Women  launched  a  WhatsApp  helpline   for  providing  medical  assistance  to expectant mothers from across the country.

Recognizing the important role of Yoga, celebration of the International Day of Yoga 2021 focused on 'Yoga for well-being'- how the practice of Yoga can promote the holistic health of every individual. It is in this background and zeal, the National Commission  for  Women  (NCW)  organized  a  virtual  discussion  on  importance  of practicing yoga in  daily lives and how it positively affects women through different life cycles on 21st June, 2021.

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