Maternity Statistics, Method of Delivery, 2001-2011

Statistics on Maternity Statistics, Wales: method of delivery include data for Wales for the year ended 31 March 2011. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 23 February 2011.

Just under 36,000 live births were registered in Wales in 2010 (data provided by the Office for National Statistics). Fewer than 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 Government’s publications and website.

Key Facts

• The proportion of hospital deliveries by caesarean section rose from 24 per cent in 2001-02 to 26 per cent in 2010-11.  An estimate of the national caesarean rate would include home and other births, making the Wales rate 25 per cent instead of 26 per cent.

In 2010-11, of all hospital deliveries:

• 15 per cent of mothers under 20 years old had caesarean deliveries.  This compares to 56 per cent of mothers 45 years old and over.
• 70 per cent of mothers under 20 years old had unassisted deliveries.  This compares with 29 per cent of mothers 45 years old and over.
• 37 per cent of mothers who had caesareans stayed in hospital 4 or more days.  However, only 11 per cent of mothers who had unassisted births stayed in hospital 4 or more days.
• 19 per cent of all deliveries in Wales were induced.
• The principal recorded complication of labour and delivery was perineal laceration, recorded in 36 per cent of deliveries.

Further information

StatsWales website.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 5064
E-mail: stats.healthinfo@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

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