In the first half of this year, 40,000 children were not born due to miscarriages or stillbirths. The ratio of infants and stillborn children was 25.43%, the highest in the last 10 years.
The increase in the number of mothers aged 35 or older due to the late entry into society and late marriage among young people is considered one of the reasons for the increase in the ratio of infants and stillborn babies.
According to the data received by Baek Jong-heon, a member of the National Health and Welfare Committee, from the National Health Insurance Corporation, there were 39,295 miscarriages and 121 stillborn babies in the first half of this year.
Miscarriage refers to the death of a fetus in less than 20 weeks of pregnancy and exiting the uterus. Stillbirth is the delivery of a child who has died after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Artificial abortions (abortion) are excluded from the corresponding count.
As pregnancy itself decreases rapidly, the number of infants born and stillborn is decreasing. The number of infants and stillborn children decreased from 110,280 in 2013 to 98,554 in 2017 and 77,037 last year.
Although the absolute figure has decreased, the ratio of infants and stillborn children (infant/fantile/fantile+birth) is on a steady rise.
The ratio of infants and stillborn babies rose from 20.65% in 2013 to 21.87% in 2017, and recorded 24% between 2020 and 2022. As of the first half of this year, it reached 25.43%, the highest since 2013.
Medical experts point out that one of the reasons for the rise in the rate of abandonment and stillbirth is the increase in the number of elderly births due to delayed marriage.
According to the National Statistical Office, the age of mothers who gave birth to their first child was 33.0 last year, up 2.3 years from 30.7 in 2013.
This is the largest age among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The proportion of mothers aged 35 or older classified as high-risk mothers was 36.3% last year, a significant increase from 20.2% 10 years ago.
Reporter Park Sun-young of Digital News Team
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