Pregnancy education show hits the airwaves

A reality-TV show aimed at helping Chinese couples facing infertility problems made its debut in Shanghai on Jan 30.

The show, which claims to be the first of its kind in the world, seeks to educate couples about the various factors that might prevent them from having a baby and how to overcome them, said Yu Wei Siang, chairman of Singapore-based Borderless Healthcare Group, the producer of the TV show.

“For couples who are trying to have a baby, it is important to understand that their daily habits, such as nutrition, smoking, stress relief, adequate sleep, moderate exercise, mental health and the environment where a couple have sex, are important factors,” Yu said.

The first episode of the show featured the living environment of a couple with a daughter who are trying for a second child. Specialists in fertility issues were roped in to give their suggestions on how the environment can be improved.

The first installment of the 12-episode series is already available on websites such as Youku and iQiyi. A new episode will be uploaded every month.

China rolled out its second child policy at the beginning of 2016, but the country has an estimated 40 million infertile couples, defined as those who are unable to get pregnant naturally after trying for six months.

The country performs an average of 700,000 vitro fertilization procedures a year, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.