Credit crunch linked to growing birth rates?

Since the onset of the current economic downturn, more and more babies are being born in the UK, which suggests a link between financial turmoil and Britain's birth rate. Nursery Retailer Mamas & Papas recorded a direct growth in sales in the months following the fall of Northern Rock, suggesting a correlation between the rise in birth rates and the nationwide economic crisis. Gill Kingston-Warren, head of public relations for Mamas & Papas, commented: "Census evidence has shown that after a recession comes a baby boom and we as a nursery retailer noticed an uplift in sales nines months after the Northern Rock crisis and that boom has not stopped since."

"There is yearly evidence that the birth rate peaks from February to March and many researchers believe that this has to do with the summer solstice being a hormonal trigger," she added.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the UK reached 1.90 children per woman in 2007. UK fertility has not been this high since 1980.

Figures show that the UK TFR has increased year-on-year since 2001, when it dropped to a record low of 1.63.

Tommy's the baby charity reports that around 584,100 babies are born in the UK each year.