Perinatal Statistics Report 2007

The Perinatal Statistics Report 2007 presents information on babies born in Ireland in 2007, together with the demographic characteristics of their parents. In 2007, 71,963 births were notified to the National Perinatal Reporting System. The birth rate for 2007 was 16.5 per 1,000 population (an increase from 15.4 for 2006). The Perinatal Mortality Rate was 7.3 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths in 2007. The two components of the Perinatal Mortality Rate - the Early Neonatal Death Rate and the Stillbirth Rate were 1.8 per 1,000 live births and 5.5 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths respectively.Delivery by Caesarean Section accounted for 26 per cent of all live births, compared to 24 per cent in 2003 and 20 per cent in 1999. The average birthweight of babies born in 2007 was estimated at 3,465g. The Twinning Rate for 2007 was 15.4 per 1,000 maternities, and comprised 1,092 sets of twin births and 27 sets of triplet births. In 2007, the average age of all mothers was 31 years and single mothers represented over 31 per cent of all women giving birth and their average age was approximately 27 years. The percentage of total births to women born in Ireland in 2007 was 79 per cent compared to 82 per cent in 2004.There was a continuing increasing trend in the breastfeeding rate at 45 per cent of mothers in 2007 compared to 41 per cent in 2003 and 36 per cent in 1999. There were 186 home births attended by independent domiciliary midwives in 2007.