Stop home births without professional assistance

It was an example of a YouTube video gone awry. The 36-year-old mother and her infant both away in Kerala’s capital city after an attempted home delivery gone wrong, which her husband is said to have attempted with the aid of birthing tutorials on

On suspicion of murder and violating Penal Code section 315 (act done with purpose to prevent kid from being born alive or to cause it to die after delivery), the victim’s husband, who persisted on refusing his wife contemporary institutional treatment, has been taken into custody by the police. A thorough investigation into the involvement of others—especially his first wife, who may have used acupuncture to facilitate the unsuccessful delivery—has been mandated.

The fact that the state apparatus did not prevent the loss of two lives adds to the complexity of the situation. It has been discovered that the victim had three cesarean deliveries, therefore ASHA staff and ward council members had asked the husband to accompany her to the hospital on many occasions.

When the district medical office doctor visited them, he had insisted on receiving treatment in an institution. However, it seems that the husband disregarded the instructions and even barred more medical personnel from entering the house. It is a “serious crime,” as Health Minister Veena George correctly said, when a woman and child are sentenced to death by their spouse.

The national average of home births is now barely 4.5 percent; institutional deliveries have been progressively increasing throughout the nation. Maternal mortality has decreased nationwide, which is something to be proud of. It is disheartening that two lives were lost in a state that ranks at the top in terms of institutional birth rates as well as maternal and newborn mortality.

The state government has to be aware that more women are choosing riskier home births, which is a result of fear mongering about C-sections and false information about the advantages of “natural” delivery spreading on social media. The health department reports that in the Malappuram district alone in 2022–2023 there were 266 home births.

Patriarchal attitudes also come into play, and women are often left out of these discussions. Additionally, the government has to keep responsible and closely monitor the organizations that provide traditional midwives to help with these deliveries. Preventing home births without professional care is essential as it poses a public health risk.