After outcry, Chinese health body takes down propaganda aimed at boosting birth rate
In deleted post NHC listed physical changes and said pregnant women and their families should focus more on the positive values of birth
Following a public backlash, China’s health authorities have removed propaganda suggesting that giving birth could make women smarter, prevent tumours and relieve menstrual cramps.
There was no official explanation but the article disappeared after a wave of angry and dismissive posts from the public about the government’s tactics in trying to boost China’s birth rate.
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In its post, the NHC said pregnancy and birth was a “difficult and beautiful journey, where women will go through physical and psychological changes”.
“There are positive and negative changes, but pregnant women and their families should focus more on the positive values of birth,” it said.
It went on to list four benefits and said each was backed by science, including that giving birth could expand a woman’s narrow cervical canal, which could relieve menstrual cramps for some.
The article said that while pregnant, a woman’s body could also produce antibodies that prevent ovarian cancer, and hormones could “make a woman’s brain more energetic and help her face the challenges of being a mother”.
