Navigating Later-in-Life Pregnancy: Oh Cho-hee Asks โfor Support, Highlighting a Growing Trend
Actress โคOh โCho-hee recently shared joyous news – sheโ is expecting โidenticalโ twins -โ a particularly โremarkable โevent following โฃa miscarriage earlier this year. She noted the incredibly low probability (0.4%) โคof identical twins, attributing it to a twin gene on her mother’s side. Herโ proclamation comes amidst a meaningful โคdemographic shift in south Korea, โฃwhere the age of first marriage and childbirth is steadily increasing.
National Dataโ Agency figures showโ theโ averageโ ageโ forโ first marriage reached 33.9 years for men โand 31.6 โฃyears for women last โคyear. The OECD‘s “Social Indicatorsโ 2024” โคreport places the โคaverage age โof first-time mothers in Korea at 33.5 โyears, the highest among 33 surveyedโ nations and a rapidly rising figure. This trend has โขresulted โin a growing proportion of mothers over 35,increasing from โฃ26.4% inโ 2016 to 35.9% in 2023,accordingโค to the Ministry ofโฃ Health and Welfare.
This shift towards later motherhood is accompanied by โincreased medical costs. Data reveals a 1.6-foldโ increase in medical expenses relatedโค to premature births, low birth weight, and congenital abnormalities between 2018 and 2023, rising from KRW 491.7 โขbillion to KRW 788.5 billion. Specifically, costs for โtreating premature babies rose 44% (KRW 184.6โ billion to KRWโค 264.9 billion) and congenitalโค abnormalitiesโ increased byโข 70% (KRW โ307.1 billionโข to KRW 523.6 billion).
Pregnancyโ in one’s 40s โpresents unique challenges, including a decreased chance ofโ natural conception and a higher risk of miscarriage. Experts recommend a proactive approach to a healthy pregnancy for older mothers, โemphasizing: pre-pregnancy โฃhealth โขcheck-ups and lifestyleโฃ adjustments, consistent prenatal โฃcare, โคa balanced diet coupled with appropriate exercise, effective stress managementโ and sufficient rest, and consultation with specialists for โhigh-risk pregnancies. Early diagnosis and attentive prenatal careโ are particularly crucial โฃin cases of multiple pregnancies or pregnancies inโข older โคmothers.
Oh Cho-hee’s โขexperience underscores theโฃ possibility ofโ a healthy pregnancy later in life, but โalso โhighlights theโ needโข for a supportive surroundings. โฃshe has reportedly requested โคunderstandingโค and support rather than concern regarding commentsโค she’s received about her pregnancy.
People Powerโ Party lawmaker Kim Mi-ae acknowledges the rising age of childbirth โคas a consequence of societal changes,โข advocatingโฃ for expanded maternal and newborn treatment centers,โค strengthened โขprenatal and postnatal care, and improvedโ local delivery infrastructure to ensure safe childbirth for โall mothers, regardless of age.
Experts โreiterate that with โขdiligent medical care and a commitmentโฃ to a healthy lifestyle,successful pregnancies and healthyโ childrenโ are achievable even with later motherhood. Oh Cho-hee’s story serves as a testament to this possibility, while โขtogetherโค prompting a re-evaluation of the societal support systems needed to address the evolving needsโ of aโข growing population of older mothers.