Published Paper Details:

Background: Migration during pregnancy is most common among females, due to cultural, structural or social arrangement. Migrant pregnant women generally face barriers in accessing healthcare services in their migrated locations. This leads to poor health outcomes. Objective: The objective of this study is to find out the role of migration on the health among the pregnant women migrating from urban slums of district Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh during pregnancy & to explore the challenges & barriers faced by them. Methodology: This is a qualitative study with a cross-sectional observational design. Data were collected through informal telephone interviews and face-to-face interviews. The sample comprised registered pregnant women who received periodic visits and counseling. Results: Maximum number of migrated pregnant women were multiparous & belonged to the age group 18-30 years. Majority of them responded to the lack of human resource & services in their migrated locations. Most of them revealed that ANC (Antenatal Care) & PNC (postnatal care) visits were not made to their households. They faced challenges while accessing healthcare. Lack of awareness regarding importance of taking scheduled vaccinations, promoting early & exclusive breastfeeding was seen. Not being registered in their migrated locations prevented them from accessing supplementary nutrition. Conclusion: Present study finds that migrated pregnant women face real obstacles & are not able to enjoy their full health potential. They miss out on important components of ANC & PNC. The clash & overlap between AWCs (Anganwadi Centers) due to migration prevents them from getting benefit of supplementary nutrition. Their new-born infants also miss out on vaccinations. All of this has serious implications on maternal & child's health. Therefore, it is suggested that states should recognize migrants as a vulnerable group and adopt inclusive strategies to ensure their access to healthcare services., which will result in better health outcomes.