Childbirths

To avert demographic crisis, Chinese govt brings new policy for couples

China has announced a slew of policies, including a childbirth subsidy system and tax cuts for parents, aimed at motivating couples to have more children to halt the falling birth-rates in order to deal with the looming demographic crisis. A directive issued by the State Council or the central cabinet on Monday outlined 13 targeted measures designed to enhance childbirth support services; expand childcare systems; strengthen support in education, housing and employment, and cultivate a birth-friendly social atmosphere. The falling birth rates resulted in China losing the most populous nation in the world to India last year. The latest initiative also includes improvements to the childbirth subsidy system and personal income tax relief related to childbirth, official media reported. Key provisions include extending the maternity insurance scheme to individuals in flexible employment and rural migrant workers who have already participated in the basic medical insurance scheme. This

Russia sees lowest birth rate in decades; June births fall below 100,000

Statistics from Rosstat indicate that Russia saw 599,600 births during the first half of 2024, a decrease of 16,000 from the same period in 2023, representing the lowest number since 1999

World IVF Day 2024: Celebrating the role of embryologists in advancing IVF

Every year on July 25, World IVF Day is observed to celebrate Louise Brown's conception, which was the first IVF baby in history

China to improve childbirth policies, support growing elderly population

China will pursue a "proactive national strategy in response to population aging," the reports said

India's childcare market expected to grow on the back of macro drivers

Redseer expects the market to grow at 14% CAGR to reach $60bn size by 2027 from $31 bn in 2022

World Children's Day 2023: History, importance, celebration, wishes

World Children's Day is devoted to bringing issues to light about children's rights and working on providing them the much-needed assistance. The day is observed yearly on November 20

'We can't kill a child,' says SC on termination of 26-week pregnancy

"We cannot kill a child," the Supreme Court observed on Thursday while hearing the Centre's plea seeking recall of its order allowing a married woman, a mother of two, to terminate her 26-week pregnancy. While making it clear that the top court has to balance the rights of the unborn child, a "living and viable foetus", with its mother's right of decisional autonomy, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre and her lawyer to talk to the woman about the possibility of retaining the pregnancy for a few weeks more. "Do you want us to tell the doctors at AIIMS to stop the fetal heart?" the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked the counsel appearing for the 27-year-old woman. When the counsel responded with a "no", the bench said when the woman has waited for over 24 weeks, can't she retain the foetus for some more weeks so there is the possibility of a healthy child being born. The bench has posted the matter for resumed hearing at

All reported births, deaths to be digitally registered from October 1

Digital birth certificates will serve as a single document that can be used for admission to educational institutions, applications for driving licences, government jobs, passports, or Aadhaar

China launches projects to build 'new-era' marriage, childbearing culture

China implemented a rigid one-child policy from 1980 until 2015 - the root of many of its demographic challenges. The limit has since been raised to three children

Childbirths in South Korea fall to the lowest in September since 1981

The number of babies born in South Korea reached yet another record-low level in September, the lowest for the month since record keeping began in 1981, data revealed on Wednesday

SC refuses to entertain pleas on two-child norm for controlling population

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a batch of pleas, including one seeking steps for enforcing a two-child norm to control the rising population, saying it is for the government to look at the issue. Citing media reports about India's population stabilising despite the rise in births, the apex court said it is not an issue where the court should interfere. "Population is not something that one fine day it stops," a bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka observed orally. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, one of the petitioners, said a report from the Law Commission on the issue is very important. Upadhyay had filed a petition in the top court challenging an order of the Delhi High Court dismissing a plea seeking certain steps, including a two-child norm, to control the rising population. After the apex court said it was not inclined to entertain the plea, he withdrew it. Besides his plea, the bench also refused to entertain some other petitions filed on the issue, ...

France registers slight spike in births after 6 years of gradual decline

In 2021, 742,100 babies were born in France, which means that there were 2,033 births per day, a soike after six years of decline

South Korea's fertility rate hits record low in 2021, may face 'age quake'

South Korea's total fertility rate hit a record low in 2021 as the number of childbirths continued to fall, data revealed, underscoring the country's gloomy demographic situation

Fertility rate rises in England, Wales for first time since 2012: Data

There were 624,828 live births registered in England and Wales in 2021, up 1.8 per cent from 2020

Artificial intelligence, deep learning to assist diagnosing birth defects

Canadian researchers have in a breakthrough experimented with the use of Artificial Intelligence-based deep learning as a tool for the early identification of birth defects.

South Korea's childbirths hit an all-time low in October at 21,000

South Korea's childbirths in October hit a record low. The population naturally declined for 24 consecutive months, as the number of newborn babies decreased and the number of death increased

China's 3-child policy won't drastically raise birthrate: Top economist

China's recently-announced three-child policy will not help the country to drastically raise the birthrate, said a top Chinese economist, adding that country will struggle to raise retirement age

A post-quarantine baby boom: Why reproductive health will be a concern

Public health researchers fear that the real impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown on India's demographics will become apparent only after nine months

Covid-19 hinterland digest: Childbirths at home see a jump in the lockdown

Even as childbirths at home see a rise, IVF treatment has come to a halt, and at other places milk is going to waste

At 67385, India records highest number of births globally on New Year's Day

India is projected to surpass China as the world's most populous country around 2027