Maternity Statistics: Method of Delivery, 2000-2010

Statistics on Maternity Statistics, Wales: method of delivery include data for Wales for the year ended 31 March 2010. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 10 February 2010.

Just over 34,900 live births were registered in Wales in 2009 (data provided by the Office for National Statistics). Just under 4 per cent of births took place at home or elsewhere; most babies (96%) were born in a hospital setting. This Release provides data on the method of delivery for hospital deliveries only.

Birth registration data is made available routinely by the Office for National Statistics and is included in the Welsh Assembly Government’s publications and website.

Key Facts

• The proportion of hospital deliveries by caesarean section rose from 24 per cent in 2000-01 to 27 per cent in 2009-10.  An estimate of the national caesarean rate would include home and other births, making the Wales rate 26 per cent instead of 27 per cent.

In 2009-10

• 16 per cent of mothers under 20 years old had caesarean deliveries.  This compares to 42 per cent of mothers over 40 years old.
• 69 per cent of mothers under 20 years old had unassisted deliveries.  This compares with 49 per cent of mothers over 40 years old.
• 37 per cent of mothers who had caesareans stayed in hospital 4 or more days.  However, only 10 per cent of mothers who had unassisted births stayed in hospital 4 or more days.
• 21 per cent of all deliveries in Wales were induced.
• The principal recorded complication of labour and delivery was perineal laceration, recorded in 35 per cent of deliveries.

Further information

StatsWales website.

Contact

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

Next update

February 2012 (provisional - to be confirmed on the 'Due Out Soon' page)