CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will amend public health laws to permit criminal proceedings against home births carried out without trained medical supervision, health minister K G Arunraj said on Wednesday, days after a Tirupur-based woman who had delivered her child at home died in a Coimbatore hospital.On Sunday, 32-year-old Sasikala, who attempted a “natural” home birth for her second child by following YouTube videos despite a previous C-section and no medical supervision, died of excessive bleeding after developing severe postpartum haemorrhage. Doctors said the newborn was saved after being shifted to a hospital.“The changes will classify such deliveries as a criminal offence, potentially invoking charges of culpable homicide. We are discussing whether it can be invoked even in deliveries where the mother and child are healthy,” Arunraj told reporters.Data from the state’s health information management system and surveys such as NFHS-6 (2023-24) show Tamil Nadu has near-universal institutional deliveries, with about 99.7% of births in health facilities, above the national average of around 90.6%, with near parity between rural and urban areas.Sporadic incidents of families opting for home births, sometimes guided by online videos, books or non-medical advice promoting “natural delivery”, are a cause for concern, he said. “We want to ensure institutional deliveries reach 100%. Childbirths must take place in hospitals or under the care of trained professionals. We are working out the legal framework to enforce this,” Arunraj said, calling the practice of home deliveries reckless and dangerous for both mother and child.Public health experts warn that such home deliveries pose serious risks, particularly when emergencies require rapid medical intervention. Complications such as haemorrhage, fetal distress or obstructed labour can escalate within minutes and are difficult to manage at home, and may lead to birth asphyxia, sepsis or trauma, with long-term brain injury, disability or death in newborns. “Newborns are not small adults; they require specialized, immediate care,” a senior govt neonatologist said. “Even seemingly low-risk pregnancies can turn critical within minutes.”The proposed amendment to the Public Health Act will be brought after consultations with legal and medical experts, Arunraj said.
