Mothers in Hong Kong are breastfeeding more than ever. In 2016, nearly 87% of mothers initiated breastfeeding, up from 19% in 1981. Despite these successes, we still see a big drop in the number of women exclusively breastfeeding up to the recommended 6-month mark by the World Health Organization. We at Healthy Matters reviewed the… Read More
Important update: in her 2018 Policy Address on 10 October 2018, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, announced the Government’s intention to increase Hong Kong’s statutory maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks. Hong Kong’s current maternity leave policy has been in place for 48 years. Under this proposal, employers would provide… Read More
Important update: in her 2018 Policy Address on 10 October 2018, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, confirmed the Government’s intention to increase Hong Kong’s statutory paternity leave from 3 days to 5 days, as it had been announced earlier. This is now in force since January 2019! Here is your Healthy Matters… Read More
Important update: in her 2018 Policy Address on 10 October 2018, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, announced the Government’s intention to increase Hong Kong’s statutory maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks. The current maternity leave in Hong Kong has been in place for 48 years. Under this proposal, employers would… Read More
Rates of breastfeeding initiation have been on the rise in Hong Kong – more than 85% of women are now initiating breastfeeding. That being said, according to a 2017 Department of Health survey, at the six-month mark, 47% of Hong Kong mothers are breastfeeding but only 27.9% nursing exclusively. Why the drop in nursing between… Read More
Are you considering cord blood banking? In Hong Kong you have two main choices if you wish to preserve your baby’s cord blood and your options entirely depend on whether you are having your baby in a public or private hospital. Here is an expert guide to your options in Hong Kong. Public hospital birth:… Read More
Do you have a sore throat, a cold or you have been coughing lately? In winter especially, living in dense environments make it easier for viruses to spread. In the first of our series on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we worked in collaboration with TCM practitioner William Lo 盧文健中醫師 to bring you a trusted guide to… Read More
Feeling the pollution in Hong Kong? As we know, Hong Kong regularly has new bouts of air pollution, and it doesn’t really get much better yet. Here is what you should know about air pollution in Hong Kong. What are the main health effects of air pollution in Hong Kong? There is ample evidence that… Read More
Adoption is a big decision and is often a lengthy process. You can adopt a child from Hong Kong or a child who is overseas. Both options follow a similar procedure, but adopting an overseas child may be more complicated and costly. Who is in charge of child adoption in Hong Kong? In Hong Kong,… Read More
If you choose to have your baby in a Hong Kong private hospital, a vaginal childbirth at standard room rates on Hong Kong Island can reach HK$70,000–$100,000 and an emergency C-section at private room rates can exceed HK$250,000 (these amounts include hospital and doctor fees). Because there are so many variables in childbirth, it is… Read More
