Exploring Conundrum of Counseling on Institutional Delivery during Antenatal Care and Choice of Place of Delivery in India

As an imperative to safe maternity in India, it’s the protocol to ANC care givers to explain the benefits and encourage pregnant women for institutional delivery. However, little attention has been paid to seek association between advice on institutional delivery and actual place of delivery. Using data from National Family Health Survey-3, present study aims to assess levels and differentials and seeks association between advice and actual place of delivery. Bivariate analysis shows that only 52% women were advised for institutional delivery. However, multivariate analysis points that those advised were 2.4 times (CI=2.3-2.6) more likely to go for institutional delivery. Likelihood of receiving advice was negatively associated with birth order but positively with mother’s education and wealth quintile. Huge differential by place of residence and region has also emerged. However, women from Southern region were 5.4 times (CI=4.93-6.01) more likely for receiving advice and 4.6 times (CI=4.16-5.17) more likely to go for institutional delivery. Results highlight non-uniform and poor service delivery and prioritize efforts to curb the lackadaisical attitude of ANC care givers on lines of southern region. It also calls to improve educational opportunities and economic status of women to narrow maternal and child deaths in future.