Mums and bubs report card: Fewer homebirths, less smoking but more mums aged 45 years and older

FEWER women are giving birth at home while the number of mothers aged 45 and above is rising, a new report has revealed.

Newborn babies in Westmead Hospital.

FEWER women are giving birth at home while the number of mothers aged over 45 years is rising, a new report has revealed.

It also showed fewer women are smoking during pregnancy, while Caesareans are rising among both public and private patients.

The median age of women giving birth for the first time also rose to 29, while fewer teens are having babies.

The birthing statistics, contained in the annual 2015 Mothers and Babies report, to be released today, also shows a statewide baby boom ­appears to be over with only 96,391 babies born in NSW — down from 97,245 in 2011.

The biggest decline in births was in the state’s north, where 10,947 babies were born in the Hunter New ­England region — down from 11,290 three years ago.

Rahel holds her newborn son Amari, and Rosemary Ghobril holds her son Isaac on right.

While western Sydney ­accounted for the largest number of babies born, southwestern Sydney had the biggest increase with 13,214 births — up from 12,831.

The report showed fewer women tried homebirths, with just 187 recorded as having their babies out of hospital — down from 246 in 2010.

Most planned homebirths occurred among mothers living in the Hunter New ­England area, followed by those in northern NSW.

Of mothers that did go to hospital, 32 per cent had a caesarean section — up from 31 per cent three years ago — with rates rising among public and private patients.

While most babies were given a hepatitis B injection, 20 per cent in northern NSW failed to be vaccinated.

Fewer teenagers are having babies, with 2.5 per cent, or 2362, becoming mothers, down from 3.2 per cent, or 3080, three years ago, with 15 born to girls under 15 years.

While the majority of ­babies were born to women aged between 30 and 34 years, the report showed 268 were born to mothers aged 45 years or older — up from 224 three years ago.

Of women aged 45 and older giving birth, most came from the northern Sydney ­region, followed by southeastern Sydney and Sydney.

OTHER NEWS

The report also revealed a rise in the number of women who were not born in Australia having children — 17.5 per cent of mothers who gave birth were born in India, China, New Zealand, the UK, the Philippines, Vietnam, Lebanon and Iraq.

Boys are continuing to outnumber girls, making up just over 51 per cent of births.

As for the health of mothers, while smoking rates have dropped from 11 per cent to 8.9 per cent, cases of gestational diabetes and diabetes mellitus rose.

The number of babies fully breastfeeding on leaving hospital declined from 82 per cent to 78.9 per cent

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said she was encouraged by the drop in smoking rates among mothers.

“Of those mothers who did smoke, more than a quarter quit the habit early on in their pregnancy,” she said.