A surprising shift is underway in Ireland's maternity landscape. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has revealed some fascinating, and in some cases, unexpected trends in its latest Vital Statistics Annual Report. Let's dive in!
Firstly, a striking statistic: In 2023, a record-breaking 408 babies were born to women aged 45 and over. This marks an astonishing 80.5% increase compared to 2013. This could spark a lot of debate, and it's something to think about.
On the other side of the spectrum, the report also shows a significant decrease in births to younger mothers. The number of births to women under 20 has more than halved since 2013, dropping from 1,380 to 683. This is a dramatic change.
Adding to this evolving picture, the average age of mothers in 2023 rose to 33.2 years old, a 3.1% increase since 2013. Over the decade leading up to 2023, there was a decline of over 20% in the total number of births in Ireland.
Now, let's look at some important health indicators. In 2023, the infant mortality rate was 3.3 per 1,000 live births. There were 135 neonatal deaths, 108 stillbirths, and two registered maternal deaths. These numbers, while concerning, provide crucial data for understanding the overall health of mothers and infants.
Additionally, the report highlights the increasing longevity of the population. In 2023, 312 people lived to be 100 years or older, with 61 being male and 251 being female. This underscores the growing lifespan of the population.
But here's where it gets interesting... The CSO also published research on twins from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) Cohort ’08 survey. The study looked at the lives of twins at age 13, revealing some interesting differences when compared to singleton children.
For instance, twin children showed lower rates of engagement with general practitioner (GP) services in the 12 months before the interview. Only 70.3% of parents of twins had consulted a GP about their child's health, compared to 64% of parents of singleton children.
Regarding physical activity, twin and singleton children had similar levels. However, when gender was considered, twin boys and singleton boys reported higher levels of daily exercise than their female counterparts.
And this is the part most people miss... The study found that almost a quarter of twin children reported exercising to lose or avoid gaining weight, compared to 31% of singleton children. Similarly, fewer twins reported restricting food intake for weight management.
Finally, the study showed that twin children made fewer new friends when entering secondary school, with 35.9% strongly agreeing that they made new friends, compared to 42.3% of singleton children. However, almost half of twin respondents agreed that they missed their old friends, compared with 46.4% of singleton children. Interestingly, almost two-thirds of twin children said they had never engaged in disruptive behaviour at school, compared to 57.6% of singleton children.
What are your thoughts on these trends? Do you find the rise in older mothers surprising? And what do you think accounts for the differences between twins and singletons? Share your opinions in the comments below!
