The Finochietto Sanatorium announced in recent hours the closure of its obstetrics and neonatology areas, services that had been operational since its inauguration in 2013.
The decision was officially communicated by the institution, which explained that it responds to a “readjustment of its healthcare model” aimed at strengthening services that currently register a higher demand, in a context of sharp decline in the birth rate.
The measure implies a structural change in one of the most important private health centers in the City of Buenos Aires, located in the Palermo neighborhood.
The Finochietto Sanatorium.
According to reports, during the last weekend, patients who were undergoing treatment or follow-up in these areas were notified and referred to other health centers in the city or to institutions designated by their primary care physicians.
In parallel, the sanatorium confirmed that the spaces previously designated for maternity will be converted. Specifically, new operating rooms and Ambulatory Care Units (UCAs) will be installed there, in line with the strategy to prioritize services with higher demand in the current context.
Behind this decision, the authorities of the establishment identified a determining factor: the marked decline in the birth rate. The institution described this phenomenon as “undeniable” and directly linked it to the need to adapt the healthcare structure to a demographic reality in transformation.
The Finochietto Sanatorium.
Official data from the Ministry of Health of Argentina reflects the magnitude of this change. Between 2014 and 2024, births in the country fell by 47%, from 777,000 to 413,135 annually. This decline brought the average number of children per woman to 1.23, well below the population replacement level of 2.1.
The situation is even more pronounced in the City of Buenos Aires, where births have reached historically low levels. This scenario poses challenges not only for the healthcare system but also for the planning of services in the medium and long term.
A global problem
The phenomenon, however, is not limited to the local sphere. Countries in the region such as Chile and Uruguay present similar dynamics, as do various nations in Europe and Asia, where low birth rates have become a central concern.
In the case of France, 2025 recorded the lowest birth rate since World War II, with a significant fact: for the first time, more deaths than births were recorded. Italy, for its part, is also experiencing a sustained downward trend, with a fertility rate that fell from 1.38 in 2014 to 1.18 in 2024.
In this global context of “empty cradles,” the decision of the Finochietto Sanatorium is part of a broader process of reconfiguration of healthcare systems, which are beginning to adjust their service offerings in response to a declining demand in areas related to maternity and childbirth.
