China Mandates Hospitals Offer Epidurals to Boost Births

China is trying to encourage more people to have babies because the population is shrinking.

They are doing this by making sure all hospitals offer a way to reduce pain during childbirth called an epidural.

By the end of this year, bigger hospitals must offer this service, and smaller hospitals will follow by 2027.

Currently, only about 30% of women in China use epidurals, which is much less than in other developed countries like the US and France, where over 67% and 82% use them, respectively.

This move is part of a larger effort to make having children easier and more appealing.

Some areas are also covering the cost of these procedures through insurance.

The government hopes this will make people happier and encourage them to have more children, as high childcare costs and economic worries have made some hesitant to start families.