Several hospitals have released the latest delivery data: will the birth population increase due to the preference for the Year of the Dragon?
Multiple hospitals across China have recently released their latest delivery data for the year close to the end of 2024. Despite the overall trend of decreasing national birthrate, some hospitals have reported an exceptional increase in annual and monthly deliveries this year, with records being broken.
On December 26th, Jiangxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital announced that the 30,000th baby of the year was born safely in love and hope. This is the ninth year in a row that the hospital has delivered over 20,000 babies, with the number exceeding 30,000 this year. Jiangxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, which covers a wide range of services including medical treatment, research, teaching, maternal and child prevention and care, and assisted reproductive services, is the largest of its kind in the province. More than half of the newborns in南昌 are born here, making it one of every ten births in Jiangxi province.
On the same day, Guangdong惠州市 First Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital also announced that their total deliveries for 2024 exceeded 10,000 on December 25th, an increase of 23.57% compared to last year. Similarly, the obstetrics department of Guangdong珠海市 Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital broke the record for annual deliveries on November 27th, becoming the first hospital in the city to surpass 10,000 births in a single year.
“Our hospital has been fully booked since the beginning of the year. In preparation for the monthly peaks, we have made contingency plans to increase beds and弹性排班 for medical staff to ensure adequate care for every mother and baby. We have implemented multiple measures to ensure maternal and child safety, and have strengthened our emergency response capabilities to cope with the increased demand for deliveries.” Said Jin Fengmei, the head of the obstetrics department at the hospital.
As reported by羊城派, the number of births in Zhuhai, a micro-scale field within China, has seen a small surge. Some have questioned what this indicates. While the number of births in Zhuhai has fluctuated from 2019 to 2023, with a slight increase each year, it reflects the potential of the city’s economic development and demonstrates its vitality and competitiveness.
According to reports, many cities in China have also experienced a “small rebound” in birth rates in 2024. In Huang Hancheng’s view, this is due to a compensation effect caused by the pandemic delaying childbirth. While this rebound is encouraging, he remains cautious about optimistic expectations. As reported by Guangzhou Daily in October, Guangzhou is expected to experience a birth peak this year due to its continuous status as one of the top maternity hospitals in the city. The volume of births at广州医科大学附属妇女儿童医疗中心 has grown significantly, with an expected annual total close to 32,000 babies this year – approaching its highest peak in recent years.
Other hospitals across China have also reported an increase in deliveries this year despite the overall decline in national birthrates. In some regions however, maternity services still face challenges such as reduced birthrates and uneven distribution of medical resources which requires optimization of resources and configurations accordingly from health administrations. Despite these challenges however, some cities like Baoji in Shaanxi province have reported a rise in birthrates due to various factors including cultural shifts and economic factors such as rising costs of education contributing to delayed marriages and childbirths among others .
Meanwhile, research conducted by Baoshan City Statistics Bureau in Yunnan province revealed through a survey on population trends that although there was a general decrease in birthrates across China over recent years due to various reasons including changing cultural and reproductive values among others , there were still fluctuations at local levels with some cities experiencing peaks during specific times like October and November due to traditional beliefs about auspicious birth dates . The survey also noted that annual births in Baoshan are expected to reach around 15932 people based on current data which indicates a decrease from previous years but still remains significant .
Overall , while there are signs of fluctuation across different regions , it remains important for hospitals to continue adapting to changing demographics and prepare appropriately for any potential shifts while maintaining high quality care standards for all mothers and babies .
