China's Second-Child Boom
In January 2016, China finally ended its 37-year one-child policy. All couples are now free to have a second child. The result has been a huge boom in second babies. The number of births for 2016 was 18.5 million. That's 2 million higher than the average over the last 5 years. Many of the mothers hoping for a second child are 35 years of age and above. Older mothers are vulnerable to a variety of risks during pregnancy and childbirth. Within 6 months of the end of the policy, the maternal death rate rose 30% compared to the first 6 months of 2015. The government is hurrying to respond to this data. Meet these determined mothers and their families who chose to accept those risks as we visit a postpartum care center in Shanghai.
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