Birth in Wales, 2011: Data from the National Community Child Health Database

Statistics on “Births in Wales 2001-2011: data from the National Community Child Health Database” include data for Wales for the calendar year 2011. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 13 July 2011.

The National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD) is Wales’ national community child health database and consists of anonymised records for all children born, resident or treated in Wales and born after 1987. It brings together data from local Child Health System databases which are held by NHS Trusts and used by them to administer child immunisation and health surveillance programmes.

This annual release covers data items which are recorded at birth. It is not meant to replace Office for National Statistics birth registration statistics, which should be used for basic births statistics for Wales.

Key Facts:

• The NCCHD recorded 35,682 live births in 2011 to Welsh residents, an increase of 16% on the number of births in 2001 (30,690).
• Mother’s age:  6.9% of all live births in 2011 are recorded as being born to mothers aged under 20, compared to 10.3% in 2001.
• Gestation:  7.1% of live births were recorded as being born at less than 37 weeks gestational age, this proportion has fluctuated between 7% and 8% since 2001 (7.6%)
• Birth weight:  6.7% of live births were recorded as having a low birth weight (less than 2,500g). This proportion has slowly decreased over the past ten years (7.3% in 2001).

Further information

StatsWales website.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 3598
E-mail: stats.healthinfo@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

July 2013 (provisional - to be confirmed on the 'Due Out Soon' page)