SEOUL: As the number of twin births and higher-order multiple pregnancies rises in South Korea, a study released on Dec 18 called for state measures to protect the health of both mothers and infants, including policies aimed at curbing the growing share of multifetal pregnancies.
A recent report by the South Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that South Korea’s multiple-birth rate stood at 26.9 per 1,000 births in 2023, second only to Greece’s 29.5, according to the Human Multiple Births Database.
The figure far exceeds the HMBD average of 15.5, the report, titled “Korea’s Multiple Birth Policy and Its Implications,” said.
South Korea’s rate of higher-order multiple births – involving three or more infants – reached 0.67 per 1,000 births, the highest among countries in the database and roughly three times the international average, the study found.
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