Market Trends of Asia-Pacific Fetal and Neonatal Care Equipment Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the APAC Fetal Neonatal Care Equipment Market according to our research experts:
The Incubators Segment is Expected to Show a Significant Growth During the Forecast Period
Incubators are part of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). They are used in conjunction with other equipment and procedures to ensure that neonates in need of additional support have the best environment and continuous monitoring. It may be helpful to think of them as a second womb designed to protect the baby and provide the right conditions for the infant's development. The incubators are mainly used in conditions like premature birth, breathing issues due to fluid or meconium in their lungs, infections or effects of gestational diabetes, jaundice, or low birth weight. The growing prevalence of these conditions in the region is the major reason for the growth of the segment. As per the National Health Portal in India, almost three and half million babies are born prematurely in India, which accounts for 13% of births in the country. With the high burden of preterm births where incubation of the neonates is compulsory, the studied segment is expected to witness steady growth.
On June 9, 2020, Singapore's National University Hospital (NUH) achieved a global record by safely discharging a 14-month-old preterm newborn weighing 212 grams. On August 7, NUH held an exclusive media conference to describe the baby's survival journey and amazing medical expertise at the NUH neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to inspire the world. Thus, the growing need for incubators due to the prevalence of preterm births and other conditions and the increasing research and launches in the region are anticipated to boost the segment growth over the forecast period.
China Currently Dominates the Market, and It is Expected to Continue Doing so Over the Forecast Period
The Chinese fetal and neonatal care market is expected to register high growth during the forecast period, as it is being driven by several contributory factors like increasing awareness about the importance of fetal care and growing incidents of preterm birth.
For instance, according to the research article published in BioMed Central (BMC) Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2020, the risk of stillbirth and neonatal death in adolescent pregnancy aged 10 to 19 years was 2.58 times and 2.63 times that in adult pregnant women in Hebei, China. According to the research article published in BMC Pediatrics, 2020, congenital heart defect is the leading malformation in China, with an average incidence of congenital heart disease of 16.0 per 1000 births, which increased by 62.2% during 2014-2018. The three major subtypes of congenital heart disease were atrial septal defect (67.9%), patent ductus arteriosus (34.7%), and ventricular septal defect (6.4%). There were 1457 (17.1%) stillbirths, 106 (1.2%) early neonatal deaths, and 6983 (81.7%) live births associated with congenital heart disease in Zhejiang province during 2014-2018. As a result, the rapidly increasing premature childbirths are increasing the demand in the country's neonatal care market.
Ongoing development in fetal and neonatal care equipment and technological advancements are also expected to propel the growth of China's fetal and neonatal care equipment market.
