HONG KONG, April 17 (UPI) -- Pregnant Chinese women who flock to Hong Kong to give birth have created a surge in the number of Caesarean sections at the territory's private hospitals.
Some private hospitals are performing as many as 65 percent of births by Caesarean section -- four times the rate recommended by the World Health Organization, the South China Morning Post reported Monday.
Dr. John Liu-sun, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at Baptist Hospital, said up to 90 percent of his patients were from China. With only a week-long visa, their obvious choice is a Caesarean section.
Women frequently choose birth by Caesarean because they want their children born on auspicious dates, as chosen by feng shui masters. Other patients prefer Caesarean sections because they fear vaginal delivery, said Liu.
Pang Ruyan, regional adviser to WHO's Reproductive Health Unit, said a lack of understanding and health education about Caesareans in Hong Kong and China may be behind the rise. She also said that obstetricians were under very high pressure because of China's one-child policy.
