Chinese lawmakers announced plans to eliminate the One Child Policy last year, replacing it with new regulations, which allow all couples in China to have two children.
Now the impact of the new policy, which took effect this year, is already visible.
Yang Xin is expecting her second child in the southern city of Shenzhen. She says the number of expectant mothers has increased sharply from a year ago, and she has to make appointments for medical checks three to four months in advance.
"The hospital has been crowded with expectant mothers every day since February. People began to queue up in early morning and I have to wait at least 30 minutes for each check. Thus I have to bring two family members along to wait in line for me, otherwise I won't finish all the necessary checks in a day."
Yang's case is rather common across China, as many hospitals are reporting a lack of beds in obstetrics while doctors have been overwhelmed by the number of patients.
Liu Lihua is the deputy head of obstetrics at the Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital.
"We have 45 beds in the fifth section of obstetrics and we added 30 extra beds today. Such situation started in April, while the peak season usually came in August or September in the past."
2016 is also the Year of the Monkey, which is among the 12 Zodiac animals of China. Liu Lihua says a traditional belief that babies born in the Year of the Monkey are opt to be smart and confident has pushed up the number of newborns.
Chinese family planning authorities estimate the two-child policy will add an estimated 3 million babies annually in the next five years, pushing the total figure each year to up to 21 million.
Those figures will have a significant on China's economy.
Calculated on a basis of an annual spending of 16,000 yuan for each newborn, a yearly increase of up to 50 billion yuan, or more than 7 billion US dollars, is expected in consumption for infants in China.
The business concerning medical care and mother and baby products will directly benefit.
Among the 28 companies listed in China which focus on baby-related business, 21 have already released their semi-annual reports for the first half of this year.
Seven of them reported an over 100 percent increase in net profit, and three companies saw a 300 percent growth in revenues.
Huang Jun is an analyst at China Merchants Securities.
"Some reports covering the first half of the year have presented better-than-expected performance thanks to the second-child policy. The year of 2016 will see an explosive growth in newborns. "
The One Child Policy was eliminated mainly to create a demographic balance giving a rapidly aging Chinese society.
Chinese researchers project more than a quarter of the Chinese population will be over the age of 65 by 2050.
解密2013年英语四六级考前30天常见18大困惑
2013年12月17日英语四级作文命题分析
名师指导2013年6月英语四级听力完美训练方案
名师指导2013年6月英语四级翻译主要考点
2013年12月英语四级考试趋势及复习方法
汉译英遇到瓶颈怎么办
2013年12月17日英语四级考试以后有何新动向
金凌虹点评2013年6月英语六级写作
四级冲刺备考之写作完美攻略
点评2013年12月英语六级真题及答案
指导2013年12月四六级考前备考
羡慕名师指导得高分不如选好备考方法
对于刚考完的四六级考试进行点评
英语写作点睛之笔200句
四六级考前20天写作高分必须解决的4大问题
2013年6月四级考试写作真题评析
金凌虹和欧阳萍老师6月16日做客
2013年6月英语六级阅读理解答题思路
点评2013年12月四级难度稳定题型微变
名师点津考生如何走出英文写作困境
英语六级考前备考常见18问题对策汇总
2013年12月英语四级阅读重点题型全方位指导
12月英语四六级考试排除单词威胁的方法
2013年6月英语四六级考前必备阅读技巧
掌握预读技巧巧做四级听力选择题
整理英语四六级考前考生最关注的10个问题
英语四六级听力的猜题技巧
四级写作备考指南写作的命题形式和评分原则
英语四六级通关策略各题型应对招数总结
徐可风点评2013年12月17日英语四级作文
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |