Shanghai prepares for baby boom

Shanghai has spared no efforts to deal with the baby boom and has improved the quality of its maternity service.

Since 2006, Shanghai has been experiencing a baby boom. In 2012, nearly 240,000 babies were born in the city, the most since 2002, according to the city's health authorities.

To deal with the baby boom, the city has launched a series of policies to improve the quality of maternity services.

The city added 300 new beds at major maternity hospitals. According to Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau, the city's three city-level maternity hospitals were each required to add 100 new beds. Administrative office areas were renovated into wards and VIP beds were reduced to make a way for rising demand from pregnant women.

The daily limits on pregnant women registering at large hospitals because of bed shortages were also removed.

The city has more than 80 hospitals that offer maternity services, according to the bureau.