2012 saw the lowest ever infant death rate in the history of Northern Ireland.
3.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births is just one of the findings in the Annual Report of the Registrar General, published by the Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
There were 25,300 births registered in 2012, a similar number to the previous four years. Of these 1,100 births were to teenage mothers – a record low for Northern Ireland.
The report also highlights the continuing trend towards later childbearing.
Just over half (13,200) of all births registered in 2012 were to mothers aged 30 or more. In contrast during the 1980s around one birth in every three was to a mother aged 30 or more.
A NISRA spokesperson said: “2012 saw the lowest infant death rate ever in Northern Ireland. This is one of many improvements to death rates across all ages over the last 30 years. Today less than one maternity in 100 results in an infant death or stillbirth, half the level seen 30 years ago.”
The report also points to trends in birth statistics.
The number of births has remained stable at around 25,000 for the last number of years.
Today around one birth in every 25 is to a teenage mother compared to one birth in every 14 a decade ago. Over half of all births are now to mothers aged 30 or more compared to around one birth in every three during the 1980s.
There were 25,269 births registered in 2012, a similar number to the 2011 figure of 25,273 births and 1,603 (6%) fewer than the number of births registered in 1982 (26,872).
In 2012, the average age of women at childbirth was 30.1 years compared with 29.5 years in 2002, 28.1 years in 1992 and 27.6 years in 1982. Over half (52.4%) of all babies born in 2012 were to mothers aged 30 or more.
The number of births to teenage mothers reached a record low for Northern Ireland in 2012, at 1,100 births.
In 2012, 42.6% of births were to unmarried parents, the highest figure ever recorded.
The number of stillbirths recorded in 2012 was 106, while the number of infant deaths (deaths of children aged under one year) recorded was 90. The infant death rate (3.5 per 1,000 live births) was the lowest on record last year.
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