THE number of live births to mothers living in Wales fell for the sixth year in succession in 2016 - and has fallen by eight per cent since 2010.

The figures come from the latest Births in Wales report - covering 2006-16 - issued by the Welsh Government, and which are used to inform the delivery of the country’s maternity services and strategy.

In 2006, there were 36,033 live births in Wales, but last year the figure was 33,004.

Of the latter figure, 6,333 were to parents living in Gwent.

The report reveals that there have been some significant changes in some of the factors making up the total of live births.

The amount of teenage pregnancies in Wales has fallen significantly during the decade.

In 2006, almost one-in-10 live births in Wales (9.3 per cent) were to mothers aged under 20.

But last year, this had more than halved to just 4.5 per cent, rounding off a decade in which the percentage has fallen in each year.

Encouragement of breastfeeding by maternity experts across Wales has borne some fruit in the last 10 years.

In 2006, 55.1 per cent of newborns were breastfed, but by last year, the figure had risen to 60.9 per cent, though the report acknowledges that there is missing data that may affect the overall figures.

Breastfeeding rates vary considerably across health board areas in Wales.

During 2016, Gwent’s Aneurin Bevan University Health Board recorded the second lowest rate of newborns breastfed at birth, out of seven health board areas.

Gwent’s rate of around 58 per cent was just below the all-Wales average, but well below that of Powys, at approaching 80 per cent.

In all parts of Wales however, breastfeeding rates for babies at 10 days, and at six-eight weeks are lower than at birth.

Gwent also had the second lowest percentage last year of home births, at just under two per cent.

Some 4.4 per cent of the area’s births were to mothers under 20, close to the all-Wales average.

The vast majority of live births are to women aged 20-39 (92 per cent in 2016), and the 25-29 age group accounts for the highest percentage.

While the percentage of teenage pregnancies have fallen in the last decade, the number of births to older mothers has risen slightly.

Across Wales, 89 per cent of live births last year were at 37-41 weeks gestation, and there has been no change in this since 2015.

Babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) may have a higher risk of immediate or longer term health problems.

The report shows that there has been no notable change in the distribution of births by gestational age at birth over the last 10 years.

Around 7.5 per cent of live births in Gwent in 2016 were at less than 37 weeks, a little below the all-Wales average.

Around 6.5 per cent of newborns in Gwent last year weighed less than 2,500 grams, classed as low birth weight. This was slightly below the all-Wales average.

Ninety-seven per cent of Gwent mothers’ live births last year took place in hospital, though five babies were born in ambulances and 41 in hospitals in England.