Beyond safe delivery: integrating maternal anaemia management, Janani Suraksha Yojana and girl child promotion – a rural facility experience from Northern India

Abstract

Maternal and newborn health requires a continuum of care extending from early pregnancy registration to the postnatal period, particularly in rural settings. This case report describes an integrated maternal healthcare experience at Community Health Centre (CHC) Faridpur, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India, combining routine antenatal care, maternal anaemia screening and prevention, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) facilitation, respectful maternity care, skilled institutional delivery, essential newborn care, and postnatal counselling. A 25-year-old pregnant woman from a rural area registered during the first trimester and received multidisciplinary antenatal care, haemoglobin screening, iron-folic acid and calcium supplementation, nutritional counselling, birth-preparedness counselling, and assistance with JSY documentation. On 19 July 2026, she presented at term with spontaneous labour and underwent an uncomplicated normal vaginal delivery. A healthy female infant weighing 2690 g was delivered with immediate spontaneous cry. Evidence-based intrapartum and newborn practices included labour monitoring, delayed cord clamping, skin-to-skin contact, thermal protection, early initiation of breastfeeding, and postpartum counselling. The family positively celebrated the birth of the daughter with the message “Mere Ghar Lakshmi Aayi Hai,” providing an opportunity for gender-equity messaging within routine maternity care. This case illustrates the feasibility of integrating clinical care, maternal nutrition, government maternity schemes, respectful care, newborn practices, and community engagement within an existing rural government facility. Such an approach may provide a practical and replicable framework for strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare while promoting positive attitudes toward the girl child.