Covid-19 pandemic and its forthcoming impact on birth rate in India

Background: United Nation stated on 7th May, 2020 that world is going to have a population surge in terms of sudden increase in birth rate due to lockdown enacted throughout almost all over the world to prevent the Corona virus from spreading rapidly; and it will also affect many developed as well as underdeveloped countries markedly including India. Even it has also been stated by the United Nation that India could lead among all the stated countries of the world in terms of baby boom in near future with around 20.1 millions of new births. Likewise, UNICEF has also reported that around 116 newborns could arrive globally under the shadow of COVID-19 with around 7 millions of unwanted births. Both the organizations are worried about the upcoming situation regarding required health care facilities for the increased number of newborns and their mothers. Objectives: the main objective of this study is to examine whether this statement given by the United Nation is going to be fact in case of India by analyze the desire of parenthood of individuals of India before and within a long term complete lockdown conducted to prevent COVID-19. Methods: This study has been carried out during the months of July and August of 2020 on married individuals of India with a cross-sectional study design through a web based survey using some social-networking platforms. A link of a Google-form containing a well structured dichotomous questionnaire attached with the researcher’s E-mail has been posted in several social media with a well defined description. All the responds from 159 willing participants have accumulated there. All the collected qualitative data have been converted into quantitative values for required statistical analysis. Only descriptive statistics in terms of frequency and percentage has been used here to meet the objective of the study. Results: to meet the objective, individuals’ desire of parenthood before and within lockdown has analyzed statistically and found that among 159 participants 34.6% wished for parenthood before lockdown whereas during lockdown it has increased to 44% of them. It is worth mentioning that during this course of lockdown many individuals (45.9%) among all the participants have changed their previous decision regarding having a baby to either positive (27.7%) or negative one (18.2%). Conclusion: this study concluded that the lockdown seemed to come into the individuals’ married life as an advantage that could increase the chance of baby boom in India.