1,337 Home Births in Malappuram in Past 5 Years, IMA Raises Alarm

Highlights urgent need for regulatory action to prevent unscientific, unmonitored childbirths

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Malappuram

THE Malappuram unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has voiced a deep concern over the alarming rise in unsafe home births in the district, warning that such practices are contributing to a dangerous increase in maternal and neonatal mortality. The IMA has highlighted the urgent need for regulatory action to prevent unscientific and unmonitored childbirth practices.

According to data revealed by the IMA, a total of 2,931 home births were reported in Kerala over the past five years. Shockingly, 1,337 of these births occurred in Malappuram district, accounting for nearly half of the state's total. In the financial year 2023-24, as many as 523 home deliveries were reported in the district, all without access to medical facilities, putting both mothers and newborns at significant risk.