Explore each chapter to understand the effort, benefits and context.
The first half of this chapter considers mortality risks for the pregnant person and baby; the second considers money and administrative time. These measures are kept separate. The focus is what to do and when. Topics such as prenatal enrichment and nutritional claims with weak evidence or very small effects are outside its scope. For maternity benefits, leave, and the costs of raising children, see chapter 18. For care after birth, see chapter 20; for emergencies, chapter 13.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 260,000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth worldwide in 2023. About 75% of maternal deaths are associated with five major causes: severe bleeding after childbirth, infection, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy including preeclampsia and eclampsia, complications during delivery, and unsafe abortion. WHO emphasizes that most maternal deaths are preventable because the means to prevent and treat complications are known. Some of the most valuable actions in this chapter address these problems early.
Daily folic acid around conception reduces neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida, by roughly 70% in the pooled research. Among people with a previous affected pregnancy, recurrence risk was about one-third of that without supplementation. Discuss your dose with a clinician if you have a previous affected pregnancy or other risk factors.
China's basic public health program includes at least five antenatal health visits, a postnatal home visit, and a check at 42 days after delivery. Register with a community health center before 13 weeks and open a Maternal and Child Health Handbook so you can use the service pathway.
Ask for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B testing at the first visit. A positive result does not mean nothing can be done. China's program provides prevention and treatment services to reduce transmission from mother to baby.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, and cleft lip or palate. It doubles the risk of abnormal bleeding during pregnancy and delivery and raises the risk of sudden infant death. Other people's indoor smoke matters too. Stopping at any stage still helps.
Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Risk factors include a previous affected pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, chronic hypertension, pre-existing diabetes, kidney disease, and certain autoimmune diseases. For high-risk patients, prescribed low-dose aspirin after 12 weeks reduces preeclampsia by about 15% and preterm birth and perinatal death by about 20% in pooled studies. Do not start it on your own.
Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose first identified in pregnancy. The usual glucose-drink test can detect it even when you feel well. Untreated disease raises the risks of an unusually large baby, difficult delivery, cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, and low blood glucose in the newborn.
Seek medical help immediately for a persistent or worsening headache, vision changes, fever of 38°C or higher, marked hand or face swelling, trouble breathing, chest pain or a racing heart, severe persistent abdominal pain, stopped or substantially reduced fetal movement, vaginal bleeding or fluid leakage, a painful swollen limb, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Do not wait overnight. These warnings remain relevant for a year after delivery.
Contact your maternity team urgently when your waters break. Follow their transport and positioning instructions. If you see or feel the umbilical cord, call an ambulance immediately—120 in China—and do not touch or push it back.
An epidural uses medication near the spinal nerves to reduce labor pain. It is more effective than other methods in the review and did not increase cesarean delivery. The claim that it causes lifelong back pain is also unsupported. China now has a separate pricing category for labor analgesia, which helps hospitals provide it.
WHO's population analysis found lower maternal and newborn mortality as cesarean rates rose toward about 10%, but no evidence of further mortality reduction above that level. This is a population finding, not an individual quota. A medically needed cesarean can be lifesaving. A request based only on a preferred date or fear of pain deserves a discussion of alternatives and the risks of major abdominal surgery.
Where an employer has paid maternity insurance, eligible childbirth medical costs and maternity allowances are covered under the scheme. A nonworking spouse may also receive childbirth medical benefits. Check qualifying contribution periods and any registration needed for delivery outside your insurance area in advance; some requirements cannot be fixed retroactively.
China's Medical Certificate of Birth supports household registration, insurance, and later educational administration. The birth institution normally handles the first issuance. Returning later can mean additional procedures and supporting documents. Decide the name in advance and check that the characters can be entered into the household registration system.
A heel-prick blood sample and hearing test can identify conditions such as congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, and hearing impairment before they are obvious. Early treatment can prevent avoidable developmental harm; for some metabolic conditions, waiting for symptoms can mean irreversible intellectual impairment.
The cited national policy briefing describes online newborn enrollment using the medical birth certificate without waiting for household registration. Timely enrollment can enable direct settlement of the baby's medical bills. Newborn hospitalization can be expensive, so ask about local deadlines before discharge.
The statutory deadline is one month after birth. Complete the child's household registration promptly to simplify identity, insurance, and later education administration. Delaying can require additional supporting documents.
The cited local package includes a blood count, vaginal discharge testing, and postpartum depression screening. Serious complications can arise for a year after birth, so completing the first month does not remove the need for follow-up.