Delhi sees sharp surge in unsupervised home births

Experts warn that such unsupervised births could exacerbate India’s ongoing challenge of reducing maternal and infant mortality.

The national capital has seen a worrying surge in home deliveries without trained medical supervision, raising alarms among public health experts about potential risks to both mothers and newborns. According to the Annual Report on Registration of Births and Deaths in Delhi 2024, 61.40% of home births in 2023-24 were assisted only by relatives, neighbours, or untrained individuals—a sharp jump from virtually none in 2022–23.

Representational photo.(Pexel)

Experts warn that such unsupervised births could exacerbate India’s ongoing challenge of reducing maternal and infant mortality.

According to medical experts, domiciliary births, or home births, are often chosen to avoid hospital interventions, reduce stress, and provide a more familiar environment during labour. However, experts stress the importance of having the process supervised by trained personnel such as doctors, nurses, or certified midwives, to ensure the safety of both mother and child.

Unsupervised home births can lead to complications such as postpartum haemorrhage, infections, birth asphyxia, or neonatal distress, which require immediate medical intervention, said a senior public health official.

It is to be noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) supports home births only in cases of normal deliveries, and even then, only when conducted under supervised conditions. It also emphasizes the importance of institutional deliveries to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.

The 2023–24 report shows that only 16.96% of home births were attended by a doctor, nurse, or trained midwife. Another 21.64% involved untrained midwives or traditional birth attendants, while the majority—61.40%—were assisted solely by relatives or others, or had no assistance recorded.

The contrast with the previous year is stark. In 2022–23, nearly all home births (99.68%) were attended by qualified medical staff, while just 0.30% involved untrained midwives, and virtually none was assisted solely by relatives.

The report also notes a decline in institutional deliveries, which fell to 294,464 in 2023–24 from 301,168 the previous year.

The data further reveals a shift in maternal age profiles. In 2023–24, the largest group of mothers (36.98%) were aged 25–29, followed by 27.11% in the 20–24 group and 24.57% in the 30–34 bracket. Of particular concern is the rise in very young mothers: 2.57% were 19 or younger, compared with 0.88% in 2022–23.

Explaining, the issue, a senior gynaecologist, from a Delhi government hospital, who does not want to be named, said, “often home birth are opted by low income groups to avoid financial burden, or when there is a wrong notion against medical institutions.”

“The sudden surge in unsupervised home births in Delhi is deeply worrying. Childbirth without trained professionals increases the risk of complications such as excessive bleeding, infections, and birth asphyxia, which can endanger both mother and child. The data points to an issue, whether it is lack of awareness, access, or trust in institutions, and highlights the urgent need to strengthen maternal health services, especially at the community level.”