Public Health Releases 2014 Maternal & Infant Health Report
Written by admin, May 9, 2014
May 9, 2014 – Public Health Services Continue to Play a Vital Role in the Health of Mothers and Their Children
As we head into the Mother’s Day weekend, today Peterborough Public Health released the 2014 Maternal and Infant Health Report that shows how important community support is for the health of all mothers and the 1,100-1,200 babies born locally each year.
“Our Reproductive Health program focuses on helping women and their partners from preconception through to birth,” noted Karen Chomniak, Manager of Family Health Programs. “By providing prenatal education classes, prenatal health fairs, the Family HEALTHline, and one-on-one consultation with public health nurses, we strive to give mothers, their babies and families the best start possible.” In addition to supporting women before and during pregnancy, Public Health reaches out to all mothers within 48 hours of giving birth to offer support and answer any questions if needed.
Findings from the report include:
- 61.3% of women giving birth are between the ages of 25 and 34
- Pregnancy rates in Peterborough among women ages 15 to 19 have been declining
- Local pregnancy rates decreased for those under the age of 30, and increased for women over 30
- Intention to breastfeed at discharge from hospital has increased from 85.2% to 89.2%
- The proportion of women breastfeeding declined over time: 87.7% of women are breastfeeding at discharge, 83.4% at two weeks, and 67.7% at six months
- Peterborough breastfeeding rates are slightly lower than Ontario however they are following the same upward trend
“We know that the healthier our mothers and babies are, the healthier our entire community is,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “This report tells us while the majority of babies in Peterborough County and City are born in good health, public health services continue to play a vital role supporting all families, as do health and social services, and support networks.”
To access a copy of the report, please visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and click on “About Us” to find the section on “Plans & Reports”. The report is entitled “Maternal and Infant Health Report – 2014”.
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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence,
Communications Supervisor
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391