Pattern of Deliveries in Rural Areas of a District in Haryana, India.

Introduction: Home deliveries contribute considerably to unacceptably high maternal and perinatal mortality especially in Rural India. Several socio-cultural and economic factors interplay in the decision for place of delivery. Objective: To know the pattern of deliveries and related factors for appropriate advocacy and interventions. Material and Methods: Community based crosssectional study was conducted in 2007-08 in a Rural Block of District Jhajjar, Haryana. Assuming 50% institutional deliveries, at 95% confidence level with 10% allowable error; the calculated sample size was 400 deliveries. Sampling frames of all eligible women, who delivered within last 12 months, were prepared separately for all five sectors in the study block. 80 mothers were selected randomly from each sector. Absentees after three visits were replaced by next mothers in the frame. Required data were collected on pretested semi-structured schedules from study mothers by house-to-house visits and analyzed using SPSS (version10.0). Results: 227(56.7%) mothers had institutional deliveries. Among home deliveries 173(43.3%), attending personnel were: 30(17%) untrained dais, 103(59%) trained dais; 19% health personnel and 5% others. Illiteracy, poverty, no accompanying person, lower castes, inadequate antenatal check-ups, previous home delivery etc. were significantly associated with home deliveries. 50% mothers considered that institutional deliveries were not necessary. Discussion: Addressing socioeconomic constraints, creating awareness regarding importance of institutional deliveries, identifying and motivating mothers, who are likely to have home deliveries, for institutional deliveries through quality antenatal services appeared vital for ensuring deliveries in institutions.