THE RATE of Caesarean sections among first-time mothers is rising at a slower rate than among second- and third-time mothers, latest statistics from the ESRI show.
It is one of a multitude of fresh statistics in the Perinatal Statistics Report 2008published yesterday, which also shows the average age of women giving birth in Ireland has increased by a year over the past decade – from 30.1 years in 1999 to 31.1 years in 2008.
There has also been a 5 per cent increase in the number of births here between 2007 and 2008.
Some 75,587 births were notified to the National Perinatal Reporting System in 2008.
The birth rate of 17 per 1,000 population represents the highest of any of the 27 EU countries in 2008.
After Ireland, the highest rates are in Britain, followed by France and Estonia. Germany has the lowest birth rate, at 8.3 per 1,000 population.
Prof Michael Turner, national director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology with the HSE, said: “One of the statistics that leapt out to me was this figure showing the rate of Caesarean sections is not rising as quickly among first-time mothers as among second- and third-time mothers.”
The rate among first-time mothers has increased from about 23 per cent to 27.1 per cent – an increase of 4.1 per cent between 1999 and 2008.
Among mothers of second and third babies, the rate has increased from 17.7 per cent to 24.8 per cent, up 7.1 per cent.
“What I suspect is that mothers who have had a Caesarean on their first baby are more likely to have elective Caesareans in subsequent births,” he said.
“What we are going to do is look in detail at these with the 19 maternity centres around the country and try to get to the bottom of what is going on.”
He said that in order to reduce the rate, it was important to understand why Caesareans were being performed, and he was not as concerned as “some people” that the rate was “too high”.
The report finds 26 per cent of all births are delivered by Caesarean section.
“It’s bang in the middle for OECD countries,” he said, and pointed out the World Health Organisation (WHO) had two years ago rowed back on its 1985 view that the optimum rate was 15 per cent.
“The WHO’s real concern is that in some countries women and babies are dying because their rates are too low.”
He also pointed to the high fertility rates here and said it underlined the need to maintain HSE spending on quality maternity services.
The report says of all women giving birth in 2008, 42 per cent were first-time mothers, with an average age of 28.9 years.
“The twinning rate for 2008 was 17.9 per 1,000 maternities. Multiple births included 1,287 sets of twins, 30 sets of triplets and one set of quadruplets.”
The average weight of babies born in 2008 was 3.464kg, or 7lbs 6oz.
Low birthweight babies – weighing less than 2.5kg, or 5lbs 5oz – accounted for 5 per cent of all births in 2008, which is unchanged since 1999.
“Over 44 per cent of babies were reported to be breastfed at discharge from hospital, compared to 36 per cent in 1999,” according to the report.
