Perinatal report: There has been a 83 per cent increase in the number of single women giving birth in the Republic in the 10 year period to 2001, according to a report published today by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ERSI).
In its report on Perinatal Statistics for 2001, the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) and National Perinatal Reporting System (NPRS) unit of the ERSI says the average age of single mothers in 2001 was 25 years. This compares with an average age of 22 in 1992.
Single mothers accounted for just over 30 per cent of all women giving birth in 2001.
The average age of all mothers in the State is 30 years. And the average number of children born to women here has declined from 1.4 to 1.1 in the 10 years from 1992 to 2001.
Co-authors of the report, Prof Miriam Wiley and Sheelagh Bonham note a marked drop in the number of post mortem examinations in cases of early neonatal death. "This rate has declined by 14.9 per cent between 2000 and 2001 alone. Over the past decade the overall rate for post mortems has decreased by 54.5 per cent from the 1992 rate of 73.8 per cent," their report says.
The decline is almost certainly due to the fallout from the organ retention "scandal" here and a similar outcry following the retention of children's organs in he Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
Perinatal statistics reveal an almost doubling of Caesarean section births to mothers here between 1992 and 2001. "Delivery by Caesarean section now accounts for 22 per cent of all births," the authors state.
This increase reflects a general trend in the western world, reflecting a change in social attitudes as well as more high-risk pregnancies reaching term. It is also a manifestation of greater medicolegal pressure on obstetricians.
While breastfeeding rates continue an upward trend to reach 39 per cent of all mothers by 2001, the fact that less than half of mothers breast feed is a source of concern for Prof Wiley, who is also chairwoman of the National Breastfeeding Committee.
"We're encouraged by the increase in breastfeeding but would like to see breastfeeding become the norm for new mothers.
"It is the best option for mum and baby as well as being cheaper and offering good long term health benefits. I would like to see a greater acceleration in breastfeeding rates," she said.
The report notes a drop in perinatal mortality rate (PMR) of 10.4 per cent and a reduction in the early neonatal death rate of 26.7 per cent.
Defined as the number of stillbirths plus the number of early neonatal deaths (deaths in the first week of life) divided by the total number of live births and still births, multiplied by 1,000, the PMR is affected by a wide range of environmental and biological factors.
"Of the 16 countries for which data is available in 2001, Ireland's perinatal mortality rate is among the highest recorded at 7.5 per 1,000, with only Greece and a number of new member states including Hungary, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania showing higher rates," today's report states.