Baby boom as births up 11pc

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Baby boom as births up 11pc
By Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
Wednesday October 31 2007

The country is set for a baby boom with the birth rate expected to top 68,000 this year -- a rise of 11pc on last year.

The number of women of childbearing age, together with the arrival of immigrants are all contributing to the increase in birth rates, leaving many maternity units under severe strain.

The birth rate has been climbing upwards in recent years after falling in the mid-1990s. There were 48,225 babies born in 1994, the lowest since 1950.

Births peaked here in 1980, when 74,064 babies were born -- before emigration took its toll.

The birth trends emerged as Department of Health annual statistics released yesterday confirmed Ireland has the second highest fertility rate in the EU, exceeded only by France. The population of Ireland has increased by 16pc in the past decade.

But the report 'Health in Ireland: Key Trends, 2007' also highlights how we are ageing and points out that the number of people aged over 65 is projected to increase by about 80pc to more than 800,000 between now and 2025.

Life expectancy is also now above the EU 27 average for the first time.

Women can expect to live to 80, five years longer than men.

It said much of our longevity is due to significant reductions in the major causes of death, such as heart disease.

Death rates from circulatory diseases have fallen by 38pc in the last decade .

The report starkly underlined, however, how suicide overtook motor vehicle accidents as a principal cause of death in the mid-1990s.

And alcohol consumption here is now one of the highest in the EU. The biggest rise has been in consumption of wine, although it still makes up less than one-fifth of alcohol drinks downed here.

Focusing on treatment, the report showed that the numbers treated in hospitals here have risen by 50pc in the last decade.

There has been a rapid growth in the numbers who have day case procedures with no overnight stay, allowing for less invasive treatments to be carried out.

The average length of stay remains largely the same since 1997 -- patients can expect to spend an average of 6.3 days in hospital .

The number of psychiatric hospitals has also fallen by 28pc as more patients are moved to community settings.

The number of children in care has risen by 38pc between 1996 and 2004, partly due to better reporting .

Medical card coverage as a percentage of the population fell by 5pc to 28pc up to 2005. But the report said this did not take account of the introduction of the special GP visit card.

There has been a big rise in the prescribing of medicines under the medical card scheme. There are now around 38 million drugs and other items dispensed per annum, compared to 20 million in 1997.

Commenting on health service employment, the report said staff numbers went up by nearly 57pc to over 105,000 between 1997 and 2006.

The biggest rise has been among health and social care professionals.

The numbers of hospital consultants and junior doctors went up by over 60pc.

And health spending has risen from e3.6bn in 1997 to e12.3bn in 2006 -- an increase of more than 236pc.

- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent

http://www.independent.ie/health/bab...?service=Print