29 March 2011
New figures show that the number of teenagers giving birth at St Helier Hospital fell by 22 per cent last year, while the number of pregnancies in women aged 36 and over increased.
In 2009, the maternity service at the hospital cared for 142 pregnant teenagers aged 19 and under. That number fell to 110 last year.
During the same period, the number of women giving birth at St Helier Hospital who were aged 36 and over rose from 538 to 561.
Head of Midwifery at the Trust, Sally Sivas, said: "Teenage pregnancy has always been a controversial matter, but I think these figures show we are making headway in educating local young people about sex and relationships.
"By working with other local services, such as our NHS partners and local GPs, we have been able to offer young people extra support, education and advice on matters such as contraception and pregnancy. These figures are really good news and they reflect the hard work that’s gone in to educating young people in the area.
"We also have a dedicated team of midwives at St Helier who, because of the support they offer to young pregnant people and their partners, are known as the ‘teenage team’. They run a weekly session from Muschamp Children’s Centre in Carshalton, where young mums-to-be and their partners can come – not only to get advice from the midwives, but to also access advice and support from the youth counselling service, Connexions.
"And of course, this is good news for older women who are falling pregnant too. There could be any number of reasons why women and their partners are waiting a little longer to start families, but it is definitely one of the trends we’re seeing now.
"Advances in medical care, coupled with the fact that people are becoming increasingly health conscious and taking better care of themselves mean that many older women are falling pregnant and having healthy babies, but there can be additional risks involved.
"Whatever age you are, if you have any questions about starting a family, don’t be afraid to ask: make an appointment to see your GP or visit your local family planning clinic."
