11 December 2025 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : Preventive maternal care and early screening are two easy-to-implement measures that come to mind when considering ways to reduce national mortality rates. In particular, maternal and infant mortality can be lowered by these two measures, along with timely identification and handling of complications, improvement in overall maternal health and introduction of healthier behaviours.
And while work is being done to reduce the mortality rates, the progress that has been made in the country in this aspect can be gauged through the two indicators: the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and the infant mortality rate (IMR) – both of which are showing a downward trend, shares Dr Ravi Malik, MBBS, MD (Paediatrics), MAMC, Founder & Medical Director, Malik Radix Healthcare (MRHC).
With early detection, one can manage any complications, and to do that, it is important to have regular antenatal care (ANC) visits. It creates an environment where doctors have access to routine check-ups and examinations through which they not only keep a regular tab of a patient’s health but can also find early signs of life-threatening conditions of hypertensive disorders (pre-eclampsia), gestational diabetes, and infections (e.g., asymptomatic bacteriuria, STIs, malaria, tetanus). The initial discovery of the disease is the point of the story where intervention and medication are done on time; thus, severe cases such as eclampsia or sepsis that account for a large share of maternal deaths are avoided.
Improved Nutrition and Supplementation:
• Maternal Health: One of the substantial contributors to antenatal care is iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation, which dramatically lowers the occurrence of extreme maternal anaemia, a condition that leads to deaths of women caused by bleeding.
• Infant Health: Proper nutrition during pregnancy can bring about the reduction of newborn mortality and morbidity in a very significant way since it can avert low birth weight and stunting.
• Behavioural Change and Health Education: The period of antenatal care visits is a worthy moment to turn to health education to teach people the most important health behaviours
• Skilled Birth Attendance: Mothers going through antenatal care are more likely to give birth under the supervision of a skilled health worker, which is the most important instrument in lowering mortality associated with labour and delivery. Having experienced health workers who can handle normal deliveries, identify complications, and carry out essential interventions is essential.
• Healthy Lifestyles: Following a healthy diet, keeping away from harmful agents (tobacco, alcohol), and being able to detect the signs of complications are some of the things that will be taught to the women through the counselling sessio,n and thus these ladies will be empowered to take the right decisions that will be good for both themselves and their babies.
• Early Breastfeeding: Moreover, education encourages the early setting of breastfeeding, which is linked with lowered infant mortality and morbidity.
• Linkage to Essential Obstetric Care: With the help of ANC, women can prepare for their delivery and be certain of the road to a clinic that offers basic as well as comprehensive emergency obstetric care if complications develop. The timely solution to issues such as labour that is obstructed or heavy bleeding is of great importance in the saving of lives.
• Community-Based Interventions: The effective delivery of community health worker (CHW) functions that largely involve the provision of health services to the unreachable groups of people, most of whom are the residents of geographically isolated areas. The visits to home and holding communal get-togethers along with antenatal and postnatal care, have the ability to bring down neonatal mortality to a considerable extent by making the issue of the timely recognition of problems and the adoption of healthy practices both feasible
Evidence of Success in India
India, through the proper care of the mother, has been able to bring down the death rates significantly:
• The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) went down from 130 per 100,000 live births in 2014-16 to 88 in 2020-22.
• The Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) was lowered from 26 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 20 in 2020. Such changes are the result of the betterment of maternal healthcare services consumption, public health projects like Janani Suraksha Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan and a strong frontline worker network.
Summary:
Maternal and infant mortality remain critical health challenges in India. Experts suggest that following simple measures—such as timely prenatal care, proper nutrition, regular medical check-ups, and safe childbirth practices—can significantly reduce deaths among mothers and infants.