When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
China 2.0

Why The World's Largest Country Is Struggling With Infertility

Obstetrician inspects a pregnant woman in Hefei, China
Obstetrician inspects a pregnant woman in Hefei, China
Wen Shuping, EO

BEIJING — It's been more than a year since China abolished the one-child policy ntroduced in 1979 to control the population. The politburo came up with a new two-child policy and simplified the government-approval process for couples seeking assisted reproductive treatment. The shift prompted older couples to use frozen semen and eggs, and test-tube babies.

So far, China's baby boom hasn't gone as expected. Data from the China Population Association shows that as many as 50 million men and women of childbearing age suffer from infertility. Geng Linlin, deputy director of the clinical medicine center at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, says that infertility is becoming the greatest challenge for couples who have the economic capability and desire to have more than one child.

Dr. Wang Lina, director of the obstetrics and gynecology ward at the Third Hospital of Peking University, says that more than 10 million infertile married couples are deprived of becoming parents. Moreover, 15% of pregnant women experience a miscarriage. One-third of women who've had a previous miscarriage miscarry again. Meanwhile, among the women who give birth, 5.6% of the newborns have a birth defect. Mothers over the age of 35 see birth defect rates of 8% to 15% in their newborns — twice the rate of advanced countries.

Lu Qun, chief physician and professor at the reproductive center of the People's Hospital of Peking University, says age plays an important role in childbearing because it determines the quantity, as well as quality, of ovaries. Not only does advanced age reduce the chance of fertility, it also significantly increases the possibility of congenital deformities.

In China, women who would have liked to have a second child but couldn't because of the country's previous policy are now trying to get pregnant. Women have also been delaying getting pregnant in order to pursue their careers. These factors have contributed to a drop in the fertility of Chinese couples. Impaired ovarian function not only affects the chance of conceiving but also increases the risk of miscarriage.

According to data from the World Health Organization, about half of all mothers in China undergo a Caesarean section delivery — the world's highest rate. This far surpasses the 15% level that WHO says should trigger alarm bells. While many doctors and hospitals advocate for the surgery to make money, fear of natural delivery pain and hope for a baby's birth on an "auspicious day" also play a role.

China's high rate of Caesarean spells bad news for couples hoping for a second child. "Mothers with a uterine scar face risks during a second childbearing. As the fetus grows bigger during late pregnancy, sometimes there may occur a uterine rupture that may even be life-threatening," Dr. Geng Linlin told a forum entitled ‘The two-child era: technology, innovation and ethics' that was recently held in Beijing.

Doctors advise women who have previously had a Caesarean delivery to make sure, at an early stage of the pregnancy, that the implantation of the fertilized egg isn't located near the scar of their last operation to avoid heavy vaginal bleeding and a late uterine rupture. They recommend this especially for women over 35 years old who are considering a child.

In recent years, many experts have called on the government to loosen regulations concerning surrogacy services — still illegal in China — for families who have lost their only child. "Because of China's previous family planning policy, a group of people called Shi-du, which means ‘those who lost their only child," has appeared," says Wang Yifang, a professor at the Institute of Health and Humanities at Peking University.

"Though they may have lost their reproductive capacity, their sperm and ovaries may still be viable. They should be supported emotionally to have another offspring. Ethics in this case should not become a burden but a tool in promoting the orderly development of surrogacy services," says Wang.

It's best to get pregnant while still relatively young, says Dr. Wang Lina. Older couples who want to become parents need to shorten the period of time they need to conceive. Those over the age of 38 need to consult doctors as early as possible, she notes.

Dr. Wang Lina believes that keeping surrogacy services illegal, especially for patients who have had their uterus removed, deprives women of their right to be parents. Moreover, she says, this policy leads to the existence of a black market that causes severe hazards. She says that legislation and the strengthening of technologies that supervise childbirth are better options to focus on.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Geopolitics

An End To Venezuela Sanctions? The Lula Factor In Biden's Democratization Gamble

The Biden administration's exploration to lift sanctions on Venezuela, hoping to gently push its regime back on the path of democracy, might have taken its cue from Brazilian President Lula's calls to stop demonizing Venezuela.

Photo of a man driving a motorbike past a wall with a mural depicting former President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Venezuela

Driving past a Chavez mural in Caracas, Venezuela

Leopoldo Villar Borda

-OpEd-

BOGOTÁ — Reports last month that U.S. President Joe Biden's apparent decision to unblock billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets, frozen since 2015 as part of the United States' sanctions on the Venezuelan regime, could be the first of many pieces to fall in a domino effect that could help end the decades-long Venezuelan deadlock.

It may move the next piece — the renewal of conversations in Mexico between the Venezuelan government and opposition — before pushing over other obstacles to elections due in 2024 and to Venezuela's return into the community of American states.

I don't think I'm being naïve in anticipating developments that would lead to a new narrative around Venezuela, very different to the one criticized by Brazil's president, Lula da Silva. He told a regional summit in Brasilia in June that there were prejudices about Venezuela — and I dare say he wasn't entirely wrong, based on the things I hear from a Venezuelan friend who lives in Bogotá but travels frequently home.

My friend insists his country's recent history is not quite as depicted in the foreign press. The price of basic goods found in a food market are much the same as those in Bogotá, he says.

He goes to the theater when he visits Caracas, eats in restaurants and strolls in parks and squares. There are new building works, he says. He uses the Caracas metro and insists its trains and stations are clean — showing me pictures on his cellphone to prove it.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest