From irishhealth.com

Rise in breastfeeding, home births
[Posted: Mon 13/01/2003]

by Fergal Bowers

There has been a small increase in the number of Irish women breastfeeding,
according to the results of a new report. It also shows that home births are
on the increase too, with a 59 per cent rise in nearly a decade.

Over 240 home births now take place each year here.

The number of women who breastfeed after birth is put at 36 per cent,
compared with 32 per cent in 1990.



The 'Report on Perinatal Statistics', produced by the Economic and Social
Research Institute, also shows that:

* there are over 54,000 births a year in Ireland

* single mothers account for close to 30 per cent of all women giving birth

* the average age of all mothers has increased to 30 years

* on average, babies born today weigh a little less than in the past

* stillbirths have fallen since 1990

* Caesarean Section now accounts for over 20 per cent of all births

* the perinatal mortality rate has decreased by 18 per cent since 1990

Perinatal relates to the period starting a few weeks before birth and
including the birth and a few weeks after birth.

The report also shows that the average length of stay for mothers in
maternity hospitals is 4.7 days - compared with 5.5 days over a decade ago.

* Vote in our new poll on breastfeeding versus bottle feeding at...

http://www.irishhealth.com/


Kathleen Fallon Pasakarnis, M.Ed. IBCLC
Nurturing Family Lactation and Parenting Services

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