The number of births in the first three months of this year rose slightly when compared to the same period last year.
Statistics from the National Obstetric Information System (NOIS) showed that 967 babies were born in the first three months of this year, through 951 deliveries.
Two deliveries were triplet births, while 12 of the mothers had twins.
Slightly more boys than girls were born in the first three months of the year, with 505 male births as opposed to 462 female births, the NOIS said.
The NOIS said the number of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths was lower for the first three months of this year than for the same period last year. There was one stillborn baby and four early neonatal deaths in the first quarter of this year, compared to seven stillbirths and eight early neonatal deaths in the same period last year.
The greatest number of mothers - 348, or 37 per cent - were between 25 and 29 years old. Twenty-six per cent were in the 30 to 34 age group, and 19 per cent between 20 and 24 years. Two mothers were under 15 years, while another 48 were between 15 and 19 years. Another two mothers were over 45 years, 19 between 40 and 44 years and 96 in the 35 to 39 age group.
In the first three months of the year, 18 per cent of deliveries were to mothers who had never been married, while another 81 per cent were to mothers who were currently married, widowed or separated. The NOIS said the remaining one per cent were unspecified. The rate of single mothers and mothers who had been married has remained similar between the first three months this year and the same period last year.
Almost all the single mothers who gave birth during the period under review were reported as having support to raise their child. Only one per cent were not getting support.
The NOIS said that in the first quarter of this year 46 per cent of mothers had their first child. In the same period last year the percentage of women having their first child was higher - 49 per cent.
According to the report six per cent of mothers said they had smoked more than one cigarette a day during their pregnancy. The NOIS said 12 mothers smoked between one to three cigarettes daily while 48 smoked more than three every day. No women said they consumed alcohol or abused drugs during their pregnancy.
The report said six per cent of mothers had gestational hypertension during the period under review. Four mothers had haemorrhage before birth, another four had pre-eclampsia and another four had placenta praevia - when the placenta covers part or the entire cervix. Six mothers suffered from abruption of the placenta. Nine mothers had assisted fertilisation.
In the first quarter of the year three mothers were registered as being insulin dependent diabetic before the pregnancy. Another mother was a non-insulin dependent diabetic. Meanwhile, 12 mothers were registered with gestational diabetes and were controlled without the use of insulin.
According to the statistics, 27 per cent of mothers had two ultrasounds during their pregnancy, 23 per cent had one, another 23 per cent had three, and 11 per cent had four while seven per cent had five or more.
The majority of the babies, 676, were delivered by vertex delivery. 132 were delivered by elective Caesarean section before labour, 10 by emergency Caesarean section before labour, three by elective Caesarean section during labour and 111 by emergency Caesarean section during labour. Two babies were delivered by forceps and another 33 by ventouse.
No babies born in the first three months of this year weighed less than 500 grams. The majority, 877, weighed between 2,500 and 4,999 grams. Eleven babies weighed between 500 and 1,499 grams and 79 weighed between 1,500 and 2,499 grams.
At the time of discharge, 528 babies were breastfed only. Three hundred and four babies were fed by bottle only and 122 by both methods. Four hundred and fifty-three babies were breastfed within 30 minutes of delivery.