Perinatal Statistics Report, 2010

Health Research and Information Division, The Economic & Social Research Institute. For all babies born in Ireland in 2010, this report presents information reported to the National Perinatal Reporting System (NPRS) on pregnancy outcomes, together with descriptive social and biological characteristics of all mothers giving birth. Some of the main findings of the 2010 report are: Births – Numbers and Rates

• 75,600 births were notified to the NPRS in 2010, which compares to 58,261 births in 2001.
• At 16.8 per 1,000 population, Ireland again reported the highest birth rate of any of the 27 EU countries. The second highest EU birth rate was reported for the UK at 13.0 per 1,000 population. The Irish birth rate in 2001 was 15.1 per 1,000 population.
• The twinning rate for 2010 was 16.7 per 1,000 maternities. Multiple births included 1,240 sets of twins and 24 sets of triplets. The twinning rate was 15.3 per 1,000 maternities in 2001.
• The perinatal mortality rate was 6.8 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths in 2010 (6.5 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths for singleton births and 17.2 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths for multiple births). In 2001 the perinatal mortality rate for Ireland was 8.6 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths.
• At 2.09, Ireland reported the highest total period fertility rate of the 23 EU countries for which 2010 data were available. Ireland is now very close to the level required for the long-term replacement of the population in the absence of any net inward migration (2.10). The total period fertility rate for Ireland was 1.96 in 2001.

Method of Delivery, Birthweight and Breastfeeding

• Over 26% of women delivered by caesarean section in 2010, compared to 21% in 2001.
• The average birth weight for live births in 2010 was 3,468g (compared with 3,477g in 2001). Low birthweight babies (weighing less than 2,500g) represented 5% of all births in 2010, which is unchanged since 2001.
• Almost 46% of babies were exclusively breastfed at discharge from hospital. In 2001, the estimate was 39% of babies exclusively breastfed at discharge.

Age, Marital Status and Nationality of Mothers

• The average age of women giving birth was 31.5 years in 2010, which has increased from 30.3 years in 2001.
• Almost 28% of women giving birth were aged 35 years or older, up from 22% for this age group in 2001; 3% of women giving birth were aged 19 years or less, compared to just over 5% in this age group in 2001.
• Of all women giving birth in 2010, 42% gave birth for the first time, with an average age of 29.4 years for first time mothers. In 2001 the comparable figures were 41% and 27.6 years.
• Of all first deliveries, 33% were to women aged 30-34 years in 2010, which compares to 27% in this age group in 2001.
• Almost 33% of births were to single mothers. The average age of single mothers was 28.0 years. In 2001, just over 30% of births were to single mothers with an average age of 25.4 years.
• Almost 25% of births in 2010 were to mothers born outside Ireland. In 2004, the year this information was first collected, just 16% of births were to mothers born outside Ireland.
• There were 177 home births attended by independent domiciliary midwives in 2010 compared with 245 in 2001.

Notes for Editors: 1. The Perinatal Statistics Report, 2010, by the Health Research and Information Division, ESRI, will be published online on the ESRI website (www.esri.ie) at 00:01 am Tuesday 26 June, 2012. The embargo is 00:01 am Tuesday 26 June. 2. In 2010, 20 maternity hospitals/units and 18 independent midwives in Ireland reported to NPRS. 3. The National Perinatal Reporting System has as its principal aim the provision of national statistics on perinatal events. The ESRI has been responsible for managing, and reporting on, the NPRS on behalf of the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive since 1999. 4. The current and previous NPRS Annual Reports are available on our website here: https://www.esri.ie/health_information/latest_hipe_nprs_reports