An intern doctor’s account of seeing an underweight newborn in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has sparked discussion on social media about repeated pregnancies, women’s health, family planning and adoption. Dr Hitarth Simaria (@dr.hitarth_simaria) shared a video on his Instagram account, in which he described a case involving a woman who, according to the medical notation he cited, was pregnant for the 14th time and had undergone 13 abortions. In the video, Simaria said he was posted in the NICU when he came across the newborn, who weighed around 1,000 grams. He expressed concern about what the mother might have experienced physically and emotionally through repeated pregnancies and abortions, and called for greater awareness about adoption.“I’m currently posted in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) right now and I just saw a G14, A13 pregnant woman’s child. It is an underweight child, it weighs around 1000 grams,” he said. Explaining the notation for viewers unfamiliar with it, he added, “If someone does not know what this means, it means being pregnant for the 14th time and underwent abortions 13 times.”Simaria then spoke about the possible emotional toll of repeated pregnancies and abortions. “I cannot even begin to imagine the mental health of the mother, the amount of hormonal changes that a mother goes through, especially when an abortion occurs. The depression.” He urged people to think about the circumstances surrounding such cases and called for more awareness about adoption.“Let them live. This is not their job,” he said. “It is high time that we promote child adoption. Spread awareness about it.” He ended the video by saying, “This happens only in India. It is too sad.”Watch here:
Doctor questions why a woman would go through repeated pregnancies
In the caption accompanying the video, Simaria criticised what he described as the attitude of some Indian households towards women’s reproductive health. “Such a sickening mentality of Indian households. If a woman has underwent abortions THIRTEEN times, it’s a common sense to NOT make her undergo another pregnancy. Sooooo much awareness to spread in this country,” he wrote.His comments drew attention to questions about family planning and whether women have adequate support in making decisions about pregnancy. However, the video does not establish why the woman had undergone the previous abortions, whether she had been pressured to become pregnant again, or whether the 14th pregnancy was her own decision. He specifically cautioned against making assumptions about the woman’s wishes. He wrote under the video: “To prevent misinterpretation, it is not wise to assume here that the mother was not willing to try pregnancy for the 14th time. The decision can be hers as well, here it is unknown.”
“No one wants the mother, only the child”
The video also prompted emotional responses from viewers who focused on the experiences of women in labour rooms and the expectations placed on mothers. One commenter wrote, “My soul dies a little when I see rural women in labor rooms.” Another said, “No one wants the mother, only the child.” A third comment questioned whether attitudes towards pregnancy and women’s health had changed enough over the years. “We are still stuck in the 1950s,” the person wrote. Another commenter suggested that the situation described by the doctor was not unusual in hospitals, writing, “the sickening truth is that almost every hospital will have this case.”The discussion therefore raises questions that go beyond the number of pregnancies involved: whether women can make informed reproductive decisions, whether their health and preferences are taken into account, and whether families understand the options available to them.
