Mother mortality rate higher in upper middle class, says studies

The mother mortality rate (MMR) is seen higher in the upper middle class compared with the poor or lower middle class, according to various studies on maternal mortality rate in India.

According to one study, the MMR among the upper-middle class is estimated to be 611 per 1 lakh live births in one year, which is quite higher compared with 555 among the poor and 439 among the lower-middle class respectively. It was 484 in non-poor socio economic class.

The data revealed in research paper presented at the workshop on Maternal Mortality Reduction by Improving Emergency Obstetric Care in India, conducted by the Indian Institute Management, Ahmedabad.

"The MMR is directly related to the health services available in the area. In villages, where the infrastructure for health and family welfare is not adequate, the MMR has been found considerably higher compared with the urban areas where there are better health related services available," said Dilip Mavlankar, senior advisor for Averting Maternal Deaths and Disability project promoted by Columbia University, USA and a faculty member at the IIM-A.

According to estimates made on the basis of religion, the MMR is found highest among the Hindus. The MMR in Muslims is 384, while it is 573 among Hindus. The MMR in other religions estimated at about 428.

However, reliable estimates of maternal mortality in India are not available as not much study has been conducted in this area. Some efforts have been made to assess the level of maternal mortality using various research tools. Estimates derived from various studies vary between 400 and 500 per 1 lakh births.

"The estimate on the basis of the census data has revealed higher MMR in upper-middle class, but there is a need to study more in the direction. The MMR may be low amongst the Muslim religion as they are not very much spread in the interior places," said Mavlankar.

The social factors behind the high MMR among the upper middle class need to be studied in context of factors such as dowry and unequal status of women in the society, added Mavlankar.

Maternal death is defined as death of women while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management. The loss of life during pregnancy on account of suicides or accidents are not considered while studying the mother mortality during child birth.