New | Pregnant women wanting C-sections fill wards to beat school enrolment deadline
Because children born on September 1 or later have to wait another year to enrol in school, mothers rush to beat the delivery deadline
Pregnant mothers seeking C-sections filled hospitals in Guangdong last weekend as the August 31 cut-off date for children enrolling in mainland primary schools neared, Nanfang Daily reported on Monday.
Children who turn six years old on September 1 or later must wait another year to matriculate, according to the policy.
Delivery rooms and maternity wards in most Shenzhen hospitals were struggling to cope with the influx of pregnant women in the last week of August, as beds filled up the maternity wards and extra beds lined the corridors.
Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital reported that about 100 Caeserean section births were performed on both Saturday and Sunday, about 60 per cent higher than average. According to hospital statistics, 97 babies were born on Friday, with 65 of them delivered via C-sections. The number exceeded 100 on Saturday, with about 90 by C-sections.
Other Shenzhen maternity hospitals reported the same situation. Dr Zhao Kun of Shenzhen Far-East Women’s and Children’s Hospital said about 500 mothers had delivered babies there in July, an average of 16-17 per day, with about 45 per cent opting for C-sections. However, the number increased by 60 per cent in the last week of August.
“Some mothers were requesting premature C-sections even at 37 weeks,” Zhao said.