Lok Sabha Question No. 3279 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-05
Subject: Premature Births
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: KIRIT SOMAIYA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 3279 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH AUGUST, 2016

## PREMATURE BIRTHS

## 3279. DR. KIRIT SOMAIYA:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that every third child born in India is premature;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and number of cases of premature birth reported during the years and the cur rent year, State/UT - wise;
- (c) whether the Government has ascertained the reasons for increase in premature births; a
- (d)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  check premature birth across the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- (a) & (b) : As per WHO Publication   'Born too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth', 13 % of all the births in India are estimated to be born premature. The state/UT - wise data on number of premature births is not available.
- (c): As per WHO Publication   'Born too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth', the rate of preterm births is rising across all nations. The probable causes are increase age,  underlying  problems  like  diabetes  and  high  Blood  pressure,  great er  use  of  infertility treatments and changes in obstetric practices
- (d) : Under  the  National  Health  Mission  (NHM),  interventions  to  address  the  burden neonatal mortality are implemented all over the country. These include:
- 1) India Newborn Action P lan (INAP) addresses issues related to newborn health including preterm care, care during preconception and during pregnancy.

Contd……

- 2) Identification and management of high risk pregnancies, ensuring emergency obstet care  and  essential  newborn  car e by  building  capacity  through  Dakshta,  Life  Saving Anesthesia Skills (LSAS),Basic Emergency Obstetric Care (BEmOC) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric care (CEmOC),Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (NSSK) & FBNC.
- 3) Promotion  of  institutional  deliveries  through  Janani  Suraksha  Yojna  (JSY)  and  Ja Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK). Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) is a cash incentiv scheme for pregnant mothers and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) entitles a pr egnant  women  and  sick  infants  to  absolutely  free  and  no  expense  treatment  at public health facilities.
- 4) Guidelines for use of Antenatal Corticosteroids in preterm labour and Kangaroo Mot Care and optimal feeding in Low birth weight infants for the management of sick and small  babies  have  been  disseminated  to  the  states.  ANMs  have  been  allowed  to  gi Injection  Corticosteroid  as  a  part  of  for  management  of  preterm  labour  and  inje Gentamicin  for  managing  sepsis  in  newborn  in  special  situation  to improve  access  to care.
- 5) To strengthen continuum of care from facility to community and back; Special Newbo Care Units (SNCUs), Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs) for care of sick newborn, Newborn  Care  Corners  (NBCCs)  for  essential  newborn  care  at  all delivery  points, provision of Home based new born care (HBNC) through ASHAs at community level and District Early Intervention Centres (DEIC) for supporting care beyond surviva implemented.
- 6) Some  other  important  interventions  are  Iron          and  folic  a cid  supplementation  of adolescent  and  pregnant  women,  mother  and  child  tracking  system  and  Village  an Health Nutrition days for counselling the mothers.

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