Mothers' urban exposure significantly reduced children’s suffering from chronic diseases, malnutrition

By Harasankar Adhikari 

Children are the future assets of the world. Health is a fundamental right of every child in society. Improvement in child health is often measured by indicators such as infant mortality rates, injuries, and levels of communicable diseases. The key determinants of child health include socio-economic status, parental education, parental age, cultural factors, and other variables.

Infant and child mortality rates in India have fallen by almost half since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals up to 2012. This improvement highlights the impact of significant government schemes and policies, such as the universalization of Anganwadi centers under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the deployment of ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) under the National Rural Health Mission, and the Janani Suraksha Yojana. These initiatives have brought substantial improvements in child health, particularly among marginalized communities in India.

A study on the social determinants of child health, conducted with 200 female domestic workers in Kolkata within their reproductive age (18–35 years) using random purposive sampling, revealed the positive impact of mothers’ urban affinity on child health. This was evident in areas such as immunization, institutional deliveries, child nutrition, and more. These workers, often from unregistered and unorganized sectors, either commuted daily from rural areas of nearby districts or resided in urban slums within Kolkata and its suburban areas.

The educational status of these mothers showed that 39.5% had completed primary education, and 26.5% had studied up to class eight. The study found that these mothers were the sole earners in their families, with 42% being distressed or divorced. They served the urban middle class and higher socio-economic groups in Kolkata and its suburban areas as domestic workers. Notably, they learned caregiving practices from their employers, adopting multifaceted childcare routines. This exposure contributed to a significant reduction in their children’s suffering from chronic diseases and malnutrition, while also encouraging the use of modern healthcare systems.

Among these mothers, 98% opted for institutional deliveries, and 84% practiced small family norms and birth spacing. All their children were covered by immunization programs. Many of these mothers also purchased health insurance schemes and relied on private sources or self-help groups for emergency care expenses. Their urban affiliation significantly influenced their attitudes and practices, leading to improvements in child health.

Ultimately, this study demonstrates how urban exposure and opportunities help bridge the gap between poverty and better child health outcomes, gradually reducing the social burden on marginalized communities.