Lok Sabha Question No. 2291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-06
Subject: Birth Companions
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2291 TH

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 MAY, 2016

## BIRTH COMPANIONS

## 2291. SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has allowed/proposes to allow birth companions during delivery in public  health facilities  to  reduce  Maternal  Mortality  Rate (MMR)  and  Infant  Mo rtality  Rate (IMR) in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has invited suggestions from the public before finalization of such proposal, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the extent to which it is likely to curb MMR and IMR?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a) & (b): Government  of  India  has  allowed  birth  companion  during  delivery  in  publi health facilities.

Birth  companions  are  women  who  have  undergone  the  process  of  labour  and  provide continuous  one - to - one  support  to  other  women  experiencing  labour  and  child  birth.  The presence  of  a  female  relative  during  labour  is  a  low  cost  intervention  that  has  prov to  be beneficial to the women in labour.

Birth companions provide emotional support (continuous reassurance), information ab labour progress and advice regarding coping techniques, comfort measures (comforting to massages,  promoting  adequate  flui d  intake  and  output),  and  advocacy  (helping  the  woman articulate her wishes to the other).

- (c): Government of India has done extensive deliberation with the national experts and the state which are already running the program i.e. Tamilnadu and Gujara t.

The State of Tamil Nadu shared its experience of the birth companion initiative implemented  since  2004  in  all  the  Government  hospitals  including  PHCs.  As  part  of initiative, a female companion of the pregnant woman is allowed inside the lab our room. The presence  of  a female  relative  during  labor  being  a  low  cost  intervention  has  proved  to beneficial to the pregnant women in improving labour outcomes .

Gujarat is the other State where birth companion programme is going on, where a female relative was allowed to be with pregnant women during labor in the labor room.

(d): The World Health Organization promotes labor companionship as a core element of car for improving maternal and infant health (WHO 2002). The regional plan of action for maternal and  neonatal  health  care  includes  the  monitoring  of  maternal  and  fetal  well -being,  and encourages the presence of a companion to provide support during labor and delivery as o the interventions to improve neonatal health.

Results  of  the  Study  titled  'Continuous  Support  For  Women  During  Child  Birth'  by Hodnett,  Simon  gates  ,  G  Justus  Hofmeyr  and  Carol  Sakala  shows  that Women  allocated  to continuous support were more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth and le ss likely to have intrapartum analgesia or to report dissatisfaction. In addition, their labors were shorte less likely to have a caesarean or instrumental vaginal birth, regional analgesia or a b low five minute Apgar score.