Children’s Health in Northern Ireland Summary

Trend in births – Northern Ireland 2015: 24,291 registered births to NI residents. Birth rate of 13.1 per 1,000 population. Live birth rate (13.2) is the highest across the four UK countries, but lower than Republic of Ireland (14.2). 76 registered still births - lowest number ever recorded in NI. Source: NISRA https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/births-deaths-and-marriages/births

Births by Hospital

Projected Births – Health Trust Projected to increase in Southern Trust area, but decrease in all other Trust areas

United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland - Comparisons When compared to other UK nations/Republic of Ireland, and based on most recent data available, Northern Ireland had: Lowest Still birth rate Multiple birth rate Percentage infants breastfed at discharge Highest Infant mortality rate Fertility rate

Births – Health Trusts 2015: Largest number of registered births recorded to NHSCT residents (5,776), with the lowest number in the WHSCT (3,970). Percentage share of births: BHSCT = 19.2% NHSCT = 23.8% SEHSCT = 17.8% SHSCT = 22.8% WHSCT = 16.3% % change in total births in the last ten years: 12.0% increase in Belfast Trust, 2.7% decrease in Western Trust (NI = +4.0%). Source: NISRA https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/births-deaths-and-marriages/births

Age of mother Teenage mothers: Substantial reductions in the last few years. 2015/16: 2.9% of all births were to teenage mothers. % teenage: 5.5% in the most deprived areas, 1.3% in the least deprived. Older mothers (aged 40+): % births increased from 3.6% in 2010/11 to 4.2% in 2015/16. % older mothers: 2.5% in the most deprived areas, 7.1% in the least deprived areas. Source: Child Health System

Maternal risk factors - Smoking 2015/16 : % mothers who smoked decreased with age - 31.7% of those aged <20 years, 7.1% of those aged 40+. Almost 19% of mothers smoked in BHSCT area, compared to 12% in SHSCT (NI=14%). In the most deprived areas, 25.0% of mothers smoked, compared to 6.1% in the least deprived areas. Source: Child Health System

Maternal risk factors - Smoking

Maternal risk factors - Diabetes 2015/16: % mothers with diabetes increased with age - 2.8% of those aged <20 years, 12.3% of mothers aged 40+. 8% of mothers from NHSCT area had diabetes, compared to less than 5% in SHSCT. Little difference with reference to deprivation levels. Source: Child Health System

Maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) 2015/16: 20% of mothers measured as obese at time of booking appointment. Proportion has increased year on year since 2011/12. 50.6% of all mothers considered pre-obese or obese.   Levels of obesity, in general, increased with age. Levels of obesity decreased as level of deprivation decreased. 23.7% of mothers from most deprived areas were classified as obese, compared to 14.4% from the least deprived areas. Source: Child Health System

Infant Birth Weight 2015/16: 6.5% of all births were of a low birth weight (6.3% live, 64.6% still). % low birth weight higher in the most deprived areas (7.6%), compared to least deprived areas (6.0%). 14.1% of live infants were born with a higher birth weight (4,000g+) and of these, 2.1% with a birth weight of 4,500g+. Mothers from BHSCT area had a lower proportion of high birth weight infants (12.1%) compared to other areas which were close to the NI figure of 14.1%. Source: Child Health System

Breastfeeding (total/partial) – at discharge 2015/16: 46.0% of live infants breastfed at discharge.   19.8% of infants born to mothers <20 were breastfed, compared to 56.4% of infants to mothers aged 40+. Higher rates in infants born to mothers whose ethnic origin was not ‘white’.   Markedly lower in more deprived areas (30.4%). Least deprived = 62.7%. Source: Child Health System  

Breastfeeding

Childhood Obesity – Primary 1 2015/16: 21.9% of children were considered overweight or obese. Higher proportion of girls were overweight / obese (26.0%) compared to boys (17.9%).    25.0% of children living in the most deprived areas were measured as overweight / obese, compared to 19.4% of children from the least deprived areas. Source: Child Health System

Childhood Obesity – Year 8 2015/16: 28% of children were measured as overweight / obese. Little difference in the proportion overweight / obese between the two genders (28.1% male, 28.7% female).   Larger proportion of children from more deprived areas were measured as overweight / obese, compared to those living in the least deprived areas. Source: Child Health System