C-section baby boom as parents rush to give birth before Lunar New Year
Mothers-to-be in rush to give birth so children can have a lucky start in life - and be home in time for the Lunar New Year festivities
Doctors in Hong Kong and Singapore are witnessing a "baby boom" as pregnant women rush to give birth by caesarean section ahead of the Lunar New Year.
The trend - as parents try to give their children an auspicious start in life or to avoid being stuck in hospital during the holidays - has prompted insurance companies to double their fees or even halt some maternity policies.
Tradition dictates, according to some fortune tellers, that babies born in the Year of the Horse are more vigorous than those born in the Year of the Goat, which begins on Thursday. Well-known Hong Kong fortune teller Mak Ling-ling said some parents were keen to have their babies early in order for their "luckier" offspring to collect lai see - cash gifts given over Lunar New Year - from their relatives.
The notion of parents-to-be choosing a lucky birth date for their children is not a new one in Hong Kong, and some doctors say the practice is on the rise, in spite of the advice of health professionals.
Private obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Kun Ka-yan said he had 20 per cent more bookings for deliveries this week, and many of them were caesareans. Some obstetricians were carrying out the procedure four times a day, compared to just two bookings a week normally.
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"We have noticed in recent years that Hong Kong has a higher rate of pregnant women giving birth by C-sections, particularly around the Lunar New Year, and the trend is on the rise," said Andrew Apps, director of international medical insurance provider ALC Health.
