Fertility Rate Slight Increase, Caesarean Births Rise In Telangana: NFHS-6

Hyderabad: Telangana’s fertility rate has slightly increased from 1.8 in 2019-2021 to 1.9 children per woman in the financial year 2023-24 while witnessing improvements in maternal healthcare, vaccination coverage and women’s empowerment indicators, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS 2023-24).

Child marriage among women aged 20-24 years also dropped from 23.5 per cent to 17.9 per cent in 2023-2024, while child marriage among men aged 25-29 years declined sharply from 16.3 per cent to 5.7 per cent.

The survey found that 99.2 per cent of mothers received antenatal care visits, compared to 99.1 per cent earlier. Institutional deliveries increased from 97 per cent to 98.8 per cent. Births attended by skilled health personnel rose from 93.6 per cent to 97.7 per cent.

However, Telangana continued to record a high rate of Caesarean deliveries. Overall, C-section deliveries increased from 60.7 per cent in NFHS-5 to 62.2 per cent in NFHS-6. In private health facilities, Caesarean deliveries stood at 83.9 per cent.

Child vaccination indicators showed improvement across several categories. Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months rose from 79.1 per cent to 80.9 per cent, while measles vaccination increased from 90.6 per cent to 92.9 per cent. Hepatitis-B birth dose coverage rose significantly from 73.9 per cent to 88.9 per cent.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), delayed marriages, lifestyle changes and lack of fertility awareness are rapidly reshaping reproductive health trends across India, according to Alexander Steinbach, senior vice-president and head of fertility and endocrinology at Merck Healthcare.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Steinbach said fertility education must begin early and become a part of routine healthcare conversations, particularly for women in their early 20s. He noted that while many people are aware that fertility declines at 40, several underestimate the gradual decline that begins after the age of 35.

“People often overestimate their fertility window. Many think they can comfortably delay parenthood into their 40s without complications, but fertility starts declining much earlier,” he said.

He pointed out that conditions such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and thyroid disorders are becoming increasingly common and can significantly impact reproductive health.

On the role of AI in fertility care, Steinbach said technology is expected to transform patient counselling, embryo selection and fertility lab automation in the coming years. AI tools are already helping doctors analyse embryos and personalise treatment protocols for better outcomes.