PTI

New Delhi, Nov 25: An increasing number of Indian women want to limit their family size, most preferring to have just 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 markedly in the past seven years since the last survey was conducted in 1998-99, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday November 24.
 
In a written reply, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare P Lakshmi said, the survey also shows that nutritional deficiencies remain a major challenge.

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

At least three-quarters of women who currently have two children do not want any more children, she said.

However, preference for sons remains a barrier to more rapid decline in fertility since only about half of the women with two daughters and no sons want to stop childbearing, Lakshmi said.

Use of contraception is also 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.