Low birthweight remains high in Maharashtra despite economic progress
CHENNAI: India has made steady progress in reducing the number of babies born with low birthweight over the past 30 years, but some states—particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal—continue to account for nearly half of all such births, according to new research published in BMJ Global Health.
Curiously, despite its overall progress, Maharashtra’s low birthweight rates are on par with economically weaker states — and even higher than those in West Bengal. Together, these four states — Uttar Pradesh (858,000), Bihar (430,000), Maharashtra (399,000), and West Bengal (318,000) — accounted for 47% of all low birthweight cases in India. These same states also reported the highest number of babies born "smaller than average" as assessed by mothers.
Why Low Birthweight Matters
Babies born with low birthweight (less than 2.5 kg) are at a higher risk of poor cognitive development, chronic diseases later in life, and complications linked to poor maternal health and nutrition.
Researchers, who prepared the BMJ paper, used data from five rounds of India’s National Family Health Survey (1992–2021), covering more than 626,000 births.
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