SEOUL: More than one in three mothers in South Korea gave birth at the age of 35 or older in 2024, government data showed on Tuesday (Oct 14), which is considered a global threshold for a higher risk of complications.
The proportion of births by mothers of advanced maternal age, defined as 35 or older at the time of delivery, rose from 26.4 per cent in 2016 to 35.9 per cent in 2024, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare data revealed by Representative Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party.
In the same period, the average age for mothers at childbirth rose from 32.4 years to 33.7 years.
The World Health Organisation and other health organisations note that pregnancy at age 35 and older raises the risk of health issues for both mothers and babies.
According to the Mayo Clinic, pregnancies at this age are associated with higher chances of gestational diabetes, developing high blood pressure during pregnancy, premature birth and chromosomal conditions in the baby.
It also raises the chance of multiple pregnancies as hormonal changes can cause the release of more than one egg at the same time.
Coinciding with rising percentage of older mothers, the Health Ministry data showed that South Korea has seen the percentage of multiple births – such as twins and triplets – rise in recent years. In 2016, 3.9 per cent of all births involved more than one child, but that figure rose to 5.7 per cent in 2024.
The medical costs of treating babies born prematurely have also increased in recent years, up from 185 billion won (S$168 million) in 2018 to 265 billion won in 2024. That is an increase of 43 per cent, about twice the rate of overall inflation.
The medical costs of treatment of babies born with congenital health issues also rose about 70 per cent, from 307 billion won to 524 billion won in the same period.
There are various causes for a child to be born prematurely or with congenital issues, but the age of the mother is a substantial factor in the equation.
South Koreans have been getting married and having babies at increasingly older age in recent years. As at 2024, the average age they got married was 33.9 for men and 31.6 for women, according to Statistics Korea, up significantly from 27.8 and 24.8, respectively, in 1990.
The average age at which women give birth has also been increasing, with more women having children at age 40 or above. In 2019, women who gave birth at age 40 or older accounted for 5.9 per cent of all childbirths, but the figure rose to 9.5 per cent in 2024. - The Korea Herald/ANN
