Indian women want to stick to two children

NEW DELHI: An increasing number of Indian women want to limit their family size preferring to have two children.

The primary facts from the 2005-06 National Family Health Survey from five states have shown that some health and family welfare indicators have improved in the past seven years since the last survey was conducted in 1998-99, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare P Lakshmi said, the survey also shows that nutritional deficiencies remain a challenge.

Fertility has continued to decline in the states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab, the minister said adding this is consistent with a desire among women to limit their family size.

Three-quarters of women who currently have two children do not want any more children, she said.      Preference for sons remains a barrier to a rapid decline in fertility since half of the women with two daughters and no sons want to stop childbearing, Lakshmi said.

Use of contraception is on a rise in these states, while institutional births have been steadily increasing.     

Both adults and children have high-level of anaemia, while women are now more knowledgeable about AIDS.