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How much do women have to pay?

The cost of giving birth is very high in some countries and very low, or even free, in others. We read about the BBC’s Mariko Oi, who gave birth in Singapore. She compares her costs with those in some other developed countries.

To do

While you are reading the article, answer this question: How many different countries are mentioned?

This text is based on an original BBC News article.

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Different countries, different systems

“Money should be the least of your concerns when you are in labour. But when I was about to push my baby out I noticed that the epidural was running low, and before asking my doctor to top it up I thought to myself: ‘Would that be another $500?’”

Three days later, Mariko was presented with three different hospital bills; one for her, another for her baby daughter and a third one, which she cannot even remember.

The cost of her delivery in Singapore was around US $6,700, rising to around $7,600 for the whole birth, including the prenatal check-ups.

Mariko is from Japan and her husband is from the UK. Starting a family in those countries can be much cheaper. In Japan, new parents are given an allowance by the government. In the UK, people are covered by the taxpayer-funded National Health Service.

In Singapore, if you are a citizen, you get a ‘baby bonus’ of $4,400 and other subsidies because the government wants people to have more children. It is regarded as a very fair system. Unfortunately for Mariko, expatriates living in Singapore pay the full price for all medical treatment.

However, compared with the costs in some countries, $6,700 can seem cheap. The US is said to be the most expensive country to give birth in. The average cost of a natural childbirth is $30,000 according to Truven Health Analytics. Bills for complicated deliveries can be over $100,000 - a huge amount of money for those without medical insurance.

In contrast, France provides universal health coverage through health insurance contributions from employers and employees. This means that people do not receive a bill when they have a baby.

"A uniform, high-quality medical service is available throughout the country and medical care is available to all, so no distinctions are made between rich and poor," says Professor William Haseltine, president of ACCESS Health International. He thinks the French system is one other countries should learn from.

To do

So, how many different countries are in the article? The answer is five: Singapore, Japan, the UK, the US and France.

What else did you learn about giving birth in different countries? Do the quiz to find out.

Next

So, the cost of having a baby can be very different depending on where - and who - you are. Next we’d like to hear from you. Are there any traditional beliefs about childbirth in your country? Does advice vary from country to country?