In South Korea, approximately 85% of new mothers used postpartum care centers last year, spending an average of 2.87 million won for 12.6 days of care (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — In South Korea, approximately 85% of new mothers used postpartum care centers last year, spending an average of 2.87 million won for 12.6 days of care, according to a government survey. The cost has increased by 18% over the past three years.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare released these findings on February 5 from its 2024 postpartum care survey, conducted from September 30 to October 12 last year. The survey, in its third iteration since 2018, included 3,221 mothers who gave birth in 2023.
Six out of ten mothers expressed hope for government subsidies to support postpartum care expenses, while there was also increasing demand for extended maternity leave and improved parental leave policies.
The survey revealed that most new mothers used multiple locations for their postpartum recovery, with 85.5% spending time at postpartum care centers and 84.2% also recovering at their own homes. A smaller percentage stayed at maternal parents’ homes (11.2%) or in-laws’ homes (1%). The use of postpartum care centers has steadily increased from 75.1% in 2018 to 81.2% in 2021.
However, when asked about their single most preferred location for postpartum care, only 70.9% of mothers chose care centers as their top choice, down from 78.1% in the previous survey. Their own homes (19.3%) and maternal parents’ homes (3.6%) were the next most preferred options.
The average postpartum care period was 30.7 days, with varying durations depending on location: own homes (22.3 days), maternal parents’ homes (20.3 days), in-laws’ homes (19.8 days), and postpartum care centers (12.6 days).
While home-based recovery periods have shortened since 2021, the duration of stay at postpartum care centers increased slightly from 12.3 to 12.6 days. The cost of home-based care surged by approximately 50% to 1.26 million won last year, after previously declining 14.9% between 2018 and 2021.
The survey also revealed that 68.5% of mothers experienced postpartum depression, lasting an average of 187.5 days, with 6.8% receiving formal diagnoses. Spouses (57.8%) were cited as the primary source of emotional support, followed by friends (34.2%) and other family members (23.5%).
Among employed mothers, who represented 82% of respondents, 58.1% took maternity leave, and 55.4% used parental leave – both showing slight decreases from 2021. Conversely, spousal participation increased, with 55.9% taking paternity leave and 17.4% using parental leave.
Kim Sang-hee, the director general of population and child policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, noted the clear demand for both financial support and institutional improvements, including enhanced parental leave policies and extended maternity leave periods.
The breastfeeding rate showed a slight decrease to 90.2% from 91.6% in the previous survey. During the postpartum period, mothers reported various challenges, including sleep deprivation (67.5%), pain at the incision site (41%), nipple pain (35.4%), and depression (20%).
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
