Mumbai: Maharashtra, one of India’s most economically advanced states, continues to struggle with a critical health challenge — a high number of low birth weight (LBW) babies. According to a new review published in BMJ Global Health, Maharashtra ranks among the top four Indian states contributing nearly 50% of the country’s LBW births, alongside Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.
The article, released on Tuesday, analysed trends in LBW from 1993 to 2021 using data from five rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). While India overall saw a decline in low birth weight prevalence from 26% to 18% during this period, certain states, including Maharashtra, have not kept pace with the national average.
“In 2019-21 alone, India recorded approximately 4.2 million low birth weight births. Uttar Pradesh led with 8.58 lakh such births, followed by Bihar (4.3 lakh), Maharashtra (3.99 lakh), and West Bengal (3.18 lakh),” the article noted. Combined, these four states accounted for 47% of the country’s total LBW cases.
Low birth weight — defined as a birth weight of less than 2.5 kg — is a vital indicator of maternal and neonatal health. Neonatologist Dr Nandkishor Kabra from Surya Children’s Hospital, Santacruz, explained that such births often result from premature delivery or maternal health issues such as malnutrition, anaemia, hypertension, or infections.
“These babies face a higher risk of developing chronic health problems or cognitive impairments later in life,” he said.
The findings have raised concerns about Maharashtra’s public health investments. Experts argue that the state’s inability to curb LBW births is symptomatic of broader issues, particularly inadequate public healthcare funding.
Health economist Dr Ravi Duggal has previously highlighted that India’s public healthcare expenditure ranks among the lowest globally. While the national average spending is ₹1,448 per capita, several states invest significantly more — ₹6,706 in Arunachal Pradesh and ₹5,575 in Sikkim, for instance. Maharashtra, by comparison, spends only ₹975 per capita, placing it near the bottom, alongside West Bengal (₹806), Uttar Pradesh (₹892), and Bihar (₹898).
“This underinvestment in public health limits the state’s capacity to address core maternal and child health issues,” Dr Duggal stated.
The study’s authors, including SV Subramanian from the Harvard Centre for Population and Development Studies, emphasized that while India has made progress in reducing LBW overall, stark disparities remain. “The continued high prevalence of low birth weight in certain states points to the urgent need for sustained and focused interventions in maternal and neonatal healthcare,” they wrote.
As Maharashtra pushes forward on its economic and infrastructural ambitions, experts say addressing foundational public health issues — particularly those affecting mothers and newborns — must become a higher policy priority.
