UK birth rate continues to rise

New statistics show an increase in births, as the country's fertility rate booms.

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The number of babies being born in England and Wales has reached its highest since 1973, new figures reveal. According to the Office for National Statistics, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) last year increased for the seventh year in a row, reaching 1.95 children per woman. In 2008, there were 708,708 live births in England and Wales - the highest figure in over three decades - compared to 690,013 recorded in 2007.

The West Midlands reported the highest TFR last year, with 2.09 children per woman.

Commenting on the rise in UK births, Helen Rogers, Royal College of Midwives director for Wales told Wales Online: "There's no doubt that the staggering baby-boom is continuing and moving at an even quicker pace.

"Hospital trusts, working closely with the Royal College of Midwives, have put in place measures to meet the demand. The health minister Edwina Hart recently consulted clinicians on a review of neonatal services, and the responses will inform how best to strengthen these services."

With more and more women delaying pregnancy until later in life, as a result last year saw a five per cent increase in the birth rate among women over the age of 40, the biggest increase of any age group.