More babies born last year

24 October 2007

BRUSSELS – Last year was one of the most fruitful years in Flanders in terms of childbirth since 1987. This has emerged from a report from the Research Centre for Perinatal Epidemiology.

65,941 children were born in Flanders in 2006. The Child and Family foundation reports that Flemish women had an average of 1.74 children last year, compared to the European average of 1.47.

There is a great difference between women of native background and those of ethnic background however. Native Belgian women have a fertility figure of 1.64, while those of foreign background are far ahead with a figure of 3.04.

Germany and Italy were lagging behind the European average with figures of 1.36 and 1.25, respectively.

The most children were born in Ireland and France. Women there had on average 1.98 children.

The average age for a first time mother last year was 28, compared to 26 in 1987.

It is remarkable that the number of births by Caesarean section has increased from 9 percent in 1987 to 19.2 percent last year.

The good news is that infant mortality in Flanders is among the lowest in the world. That figure has been at 7 in 1,000 births since 2000.

Subject: Belgian news