Stillbirths persist in Maharashtra despite 96% institutional deliveries, study finds
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A study conducted in Pune district has found that stillbirths continue to occur in Maharashtra despite 96 per cent of deliveries taking place in healthcare institutions, pointing to gaps in the quality of care rather than access to services.
The findings, reported by The Indian Express, are part of the SHRiSTI (Strategies to Help in Optimal Pregnancy Outcomes and Reduce Stillbirths in India) project, an implementation research initiative funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Researchers are expected to present the findings to the Maharashtra government.
The study was carried out by the Community Health Research Unit of KEM Hospital Research Centre, Pune, across the rural blocks of Junnar, Ambegaon, and Khed, covering more than 500 villages and around 18,000 annual births.
Researchers surveyed 4,821 pregnancies and recorded a stillbirth rate of 7.6 per 1,000 total births. Of 4,497 births documented, 34 were stillbirths. Most deliveries occurred in health facilities, with 55.1 per cent taking place in private hospitals and 44.4 per cent in government facilities.
According to the study, 22 of the 34 stillbirths occurred in private facilities after referral from government hospitals, while nine occurred in government facilities and three during transit. No stillbirths were reported in home deliveries.
The researchers found that many of the stillbirths were preventable and linked to modifiable risk factors. Ambegaon recorded the highest burden among the three study blocks.
India records an estimated 3.4 lakh stillbirths annually, the highest number globally. In Pune district, the stillbirth rate stands at 17.7 per 1,000 live births according to NFHS-5 data. The target is to reduce the rate to below 10 per 1,000 births by 2030.
Researchers said a major concern was the lack of integration between private healthcare facilities and public health surveillance systems, resulting in gaps in monitoring and follow-up of pregnancies.
The study concluded that reducing stillbirths will require improvements in the quality, coordination, and accountability of care within the existing health system rather than merely expanding access to institutional deliveries.