Fertility experts examine reasons for falling births

Multiple factors

Zhu has also witnessed a growing number of older women who have trouble having a second or third child because of factors such as age and a declining ability to ovulate.

"Premature ovarian failure — the early cessation of ovulation under the age of 40 — is increasingly prevalent among women of childbearing age, which can be attributed to pressure brought about by supporting their family, irregular work and rest, unhealthy diet and declining immunity," he said.

For the majority of women, menstruation ends in their 50s. However, Zhu has seen some women who stop having their period at the age of 40, or even as young as 36.

Delayed preparation for pregnancy is one of the major factors behind infertility, he said.

"This is why we recommend people do what their age permits; get married and have a child early. Don't wait until your career is a major success," he said, adding that the functioning of a woman's ovaries won't wait for her job.

Another major impediment to fertility lies with men. "The average quality of sperm is declining and there is a rising occurrence of erectile dysfunction," Zhu said.

Preventing infertility is a topic that should not exclude teenagers, he added. The obstetrician has encountered cases of female students aged 16 to 17 coming to his clinic to seek an abortion. "One of the youngest was even younger than 14 years old," he said.

The hospital strictly sticks to the policy of reporting pregnancies involving girls under the age of 18 to police in order "to step up teenager protection and supervision," Zhu added.

He urged boosting sex education for junior and senior high students so they learn how to behave sensibly and to protect themselves.

"Pregnancy at too young an age and a subsequent abortion impacts fertility in the long run. A low birthrate is not necessarily solely related to a willingness for parenting, but also the physical and medical conditions of the young parents-to-be," he added.

Zhu is also the head of his hospital's reproductive medical center, which was established in April.

The center has conducted close to 80 cycles of intrauterine insemination — a technique that boosts the chances of pregnancy by placing specially prepared sperm directly in the uterus. The success rate is above 20 percent.

Now the hospital is preparing to establish an in vitro fertilization center.

"Although we are a third-tier town in the country, there is huge demand for assisted reproductive technology," Zhu said."Currently, our hospital is actively preparing for rolling out in vitro fertilization and embryo transfers to bring hope to those unable to bear a child."