中国的妇幼保健市场蓬勃发展

Maternity care workers look after mother and infant during the first few months after a baby is born. They are highly paid but not all of them are qualified for the job. This has caused social discussion. Experts believe this kind of service is far from mature, and needs government regulation.

Taking care of infants and mothers, the job as a maternity care worker is considered highly rewarding thanks to a booming market demand. Zhao Qiang is one of the highest paid caretakers in her company, and she says the salary comes with hard work and high responsibility.

Zhao Qiang, one of maternity caretakers, said, "People are talking about our high salaries. But a job as maternity care worker means you won't be able to sleep well, because babies cry every now and then, throughout day and night. And you are responsible for the recovery of the mother and the health of the baby, which is a heavy responsibility."

Those maternity workers are required to receive regular trainings on nursing, nutrition, maternity health, and other necessary knowledge. And today, Zhao is taking courses with her new colleagues on baby massage.

CCTV reporter Li Nan said, "The trainings are harder than I imagined. After a systematic training, these maternity care workers are expecting a starting salary at 7000 yuan per month. That’s twice the average income of a college graduate in Beijing."

Starting at 7000 yuan, salaries for experienced care workers can reach as high as 15,000 yuan, or around 2500 US dollars a month in cities like Shanghai and Beijing. In big cities, many new moms want a faster recovery after giving birth and return to work. They are also lacking babycare knowledge. So young couples prefer to hire maternity caretakers despite the high cost.

Demand is booming. The salaries are high and will continue rising. However, the service industry is also considered a chaos. Driven by the high income, many who used to be housekeepers or cleaning maids are claiming to be experienced maternity care workers, signing with small agencies. Unfortunate incidents or even tragedies are reported now and then, a result of inappropriate maternity care.

Yin Jianfeng, GM of Very Maids, said, "The government needs to implement more detailed regulations on both agencies and careworkers. There has to be a certain qualification to obtain before one can work as a maternity care worker. It is also crucial to keep work records and feedbacks on them, so that people won't be misled when choosing the service. But none of this is available now."

2012 is the year of the dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar. To have a "dragon baby" has already brought a birth boom in the country, and along with it, a flourishing maternity care market.