More pregnant women avoid drink and smoke

More pregnant women are adopting a healthy lifestyle and last year there was an increase in the number of expectant mothers who did not smoke, drink or abuse drugs compared to the year before.

Statistics issued by Lina Janulova, from the National Obstetric Information System (NOIS), showed there were eight mothers who abused of drugs during their pregnancy. None said they consumed alcohol when they were pregnant but 18 smoked one to three cigarettes a day and 105 more than three.

The figures also showed that more mothers opted to breast feed their babies last year than in 2002. An increase was registered in both those who breast-fed within 30 minutes of birth and at the time of discharge from hospital.

Almost half the infants were breast-fed within half an hour of being born and more than half were being breast-fed at the time of discharge.

The NOIS statistics showed that new baby boys outnumbered girls last year, while the birth rate went up.

The babies - 2,061 boys and 1,993 girls - were born in 3,995 deliveries. There were 3,939 single births, 53 twin births and there were three sets off triplets.

Dr Janulova said last year was the first since the introduction of the NOIS in 1999 that an increase in births over the previous year was registered. Last year 4,054 babies were born, as opposed to 3,927 in 2002.

The youngest mother was 14 years old and the eldest 45. Five new mothers were under 15, 216 between 15 and 19, 802 between 20 and 24, 1,465 between 25 and 29, 1,028 between 30 and 34, 377 between 35 and 39, 81 between 40 and 44 and one mother was 45 years old. The ages of the remaining 20 mothers were unspecified.

There was a three per cent rise in the number of non-married mothers and 665 (17 per cent) had never been married.

Six per cent of the mothers were foreign nationals, a two per cent increase over 2002.

More than half the deliveries - 51 per cent - were the mother's first baby, the same as in 2002.

Just over 400 mothers needed specific obstetric treatment during their pregnancy. The majority, 260, were suffering from gestational hypertension.

Thirty-five mothers needed assisted fertilisation.

The NOIS statistics showed that 30 per cent of the mothers had two ultrasounds during their pregnancy while 22 per cent had one and another 22 per cent had three. Eighteen per cent had four or more.

The majority of babies were born in hospital, three took place at home and 11 underwater.

Dr Janulova said 69 per cent of the births were vertex delivery (normal delivery), 27 per cent were by emergency or elective Caesarean section and four per cent by assisted vaginal delivery.

The statistics showed that 92 per cent of the babies weighed between 2,500 and 4,999 grams. Six per cent were of low birth weight and one per cent (45 babies) were of very low weight.

Eighteen babies were stillborn, there were 19 early neonatal deaths and two late neonatal deaths.