http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/01/world/asia/china-maternal-mortality-two-child.html 2016-09-30 12:48:31 Reports of a Spike in Maternal Deaths Spurs Questions in China An anxious, skeptical debate has broken out over an official’s announcement that the rate surged by nearly one-third in the first half of 2016. === BEIJING — Did An anxious, skeptical debate has broken out over the drastically higher figure, announced by Online, people called for better health care for pregnant women or warned of the health effects of Older mothers may face greater health risks, but not necessarily. Chinese women generally marry and have children in their late 20s, contributing to some Others said they simply did not believe the figures, a lack of confidence that highlighted Here are the highlights of what Mr. Ma said at the meeting, as reported by Beijing News and In an “Fishy,” Wang Ling, the author of “ “Under what circumstances could the rate be 30 percent higher in the first half of this year than in the same period last year, if last year’s overall maternal mortality rate was 20 and this year’s so far is 18?” Ms. Wang asked. Such an increase in the first half of 2016 could be achieved only if the rate had been a very low 14 per 100,000 in the first half of last year and a very high 26 per 100,000 women in the second half, according to figures on Ms. Wang’s WeChat account. The commission did not reply to a request for clarification. China has experienced drastic improvements in maternal mortality in recent decades. Health commission figures The The W.H.O. gives the maternal mortality rate in the United States as 14 per 100,000 live births for 2015, up from 12 in 1990. Rates in sub-Saharan Africa are the Some “After the ‘two-child policy,’ maternal mortality rises by one-third,” read a That view apparently struck a chord among many online readers. “This certainly has to do with lots of old women trying desperately to have a child,” wrote gernsback-ex, the most popular comment on But Yicai disagreed, with a headline that ran in part: “Scholars say it has nothing to do with the two-child policy.” If the one-child policy ended on Jan. 1, it could not have caused the spike, because it is not possible to have a child within six months, the article said. On her WeChat account, Ms. Wang wrote: “If it really has gone up by 30 percent (it’s a frightening figure), then the health commission must offer a clear answer why. And how to avoid it going forward.”