The Current State of Maternity Care and Suggestions for Improvement in the Management of High-risk Pregnancies in South Korea
10.21896/jksmch.2018.22.3.134
- Author:
Tae Gyu AHN
1
;
Taeyeon KIM
;
Yeonjin KIM
;
Jong Yun HWANG
Author Information
1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea. rapidhwang@kangwon.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
safe childbirth;
obstetricians;
high-risk pregnancy;
maternity care system
- MeSH:
Birth Rate;
Female;
Humans;
Korea;
Marriage;
Maternal Age;
Maternal Death;
Parturition;
Pregnancy;
Pregnancy, High-Risk;
Pregnant Women;
Risk Factors
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health
2018;22(3):134-141
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Since the year 2000, low birth rates have resulted in significant decreases to maternity care services throughout many Korean hospitals. However, there has been a concomitant increase in the number of high-risk pregnancies, due to growing trends in delayed marriages and subsequent pregnancies. Increased maternal age is a risk factor associated with complicated pregnancies and high-risk deliveries, both of which are strongly related to maternal death. With this in mind, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has supported the establishment of a regional perinatal center for high-risk pregnancies, estimated to be be fully completed by the year 2020. Despite this, maternity care services for high-risk pregnancies remain insufficient. According to previous reports, the total number of maternity care hospitals and beds available for high-risk pregnant women were 60 and 399, respectively. This is in stark contrast to previous bed estimates of 1,640. The establishment of a maternity care system for high-risk pregnant women is integral to ensuring optimal conditions for both pregnancy and childbirth. This review briefly evaluates the existing maternity care system for high-risk pregnancies, and proposes several new suggestions for improvements.
