The number of maternal deaths in Hong Kong, one of the lowest in the world, will rise gradually as more mainlanders give birth in the city, doctors warn.
According to government statistics, the number of babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong increased fivefold in the past decade, from 7,180 in 1999 to 37,253 last year. Babies born to mainlanders represented 45.4 per cent of last year's total, up from 14 per cent 10 years ago. While the average number of maternal deaths in Hong Kong now remains at one to two a year, the number of severe complications cases is rising..
The number of maternal deaths or serious injuries reported by private hospitals to the Department of Health rose from two in 2007 to eight in 2008 and 12 last year. The number of newborn deaths and serious injuries was 14 in 2007, four in 2008 and jumped to 19 last year.
Private Hospital's Association president Dr Alan Lau Kwok-lam said pre-natal check-ups were essential for doctors to assess the risk of a delivery.
Lau, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, warned that maternal deaths could rise with the influx of mainlanders to give birth because Hong Kong doctors knew little about their medical situations.
'For those who come for a delivery in Hong Kong, they must at least have one check-up here when they get a certificate of booking. We strongly advise a second check-up, but hospitals do not know how many mainland mothers actually have the second consultation in Hong Kong,' he said.