Births to older mothers treble in 20 years

The number of babies born to older mothers has almost trebled in the past 20 years, new statistics have revealed.

Last year, some 26,976 babies were born to women aged 40 and over, compared to just 9,336 in 1989 and 14,252 ten years ago.

The figures for England and Wales, from the Office for National Statistics, also revealed that among those aged 35 to 39 there were 114,288 births in 2009, a rise of 41 per cent on 1999 levels.

At the same time, the birth rate for women under 35 fell meaning the average age for a first-time mother has risen to 29.4, up from 29.3 in 2008 and 28.4 in 1999.

Overall, the total number of births dropped year-on-year by 0.3 per cent with 706,248 babies being born in 2009.

Commenting on the figures, Louise Silverton, deputy general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, warned that the fall in birth rates should not be used as an excuse to reduce the number of midwives.

"Even with this fall there are still not enough midwives to provide the quality of service for women and babies that we want to see," she said.

Last year, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists warned that women over the age of 35 find it significantly harder to conceive and that the chances of a miscarriage are increased.

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