Better healthcare? Why babies in India are being born heavier than ever

Indian babies are being born heavier than ever, a sign of better-educated, richer and more aware mothers and better healthcare. 

Only 18% of live births over five years (2010-15) had low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg)–an important indicator of early exposure to childhood morbidity, mortality–down from 22% a decade ago, according to new national health data.

The highest percentage of babies with low birth weights was reported from the national capital territory of Delhi, according to the final report of the National Family Health Survey, 2015-16 (NFHS-4), released on