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Borough’s enjoying ongoing baby boom

Lee Sykes
22/11/2006

OLDHAM continues to enjoy a baby boom, with latest figures showing it has the second highest birth rate in the North West.

Research released this week by Liverpool John Moores University has revealed that ours is, quite literally, a growing borough.

The regional study looked into reproduction and sexual health and focused on the most complete figures available - those for 2005.

It was found that there were 71.6 births per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 44 in Oldham. Only Blackburn was higher, with an average of 76.9 births.

The North West average was 58.1 births per 1,000 women, with neighbouring Rochdale fourth in the table at 66.7 and Wyre, in Lancashire, bottom at 48.5.

Mark Bellis, Professor of Public Health at John Moores University, and co-author of the report, said: "We found a link to higher birth rates in areas with either deprivation or a high number of ethnic minorities. Where both these factors are present - as is the case in Oldham - it tends to lead to a higher birth rate."

The 2001 census showed that of Oldham's population of 219,000, 13 per cent of residents came from ethnic minorities.

In his review on community cohesion in Oldham in 2005, Professor Ted Cantle stressed the importance of integration given Oldham's changing demographic profile, particularly in schools.

The number of white under 16s in Oldham is predicted to decrease significantly in the next 20 years, while the number of Pakistani and Bangledeshi children will increase.

Nevertheless, figures from Oldham Primary Care Trust (PCT) show that of the 3,151 babies born in Oldham in 2005, most were 'white'.

The full breakdown of figures shows that 1,796 of new births were white, 991 Asian, 39 black, six Chinese, 131 of mixed race, 15 classed as 'other', and 173 'not given'.

A spokesman for Oldham PCT said that the latest figures are not surprising, as the borough is maintaining a steady birth rate.

"The birth rate for 2005 in Oldham was roughly the same has it has been over the last 10 years," it was stated.

In fact, they are slightly down on the previous year's total of 3,264.

The rate of teenage conception (15 to 17) in Oldham was 57.1 per 1,000 last year - the fourth highest in the North West. This was above the North West average of 45.2.

Oldham has below average teenage (15 to 17) abortions at 36.8 per 1,000 -- the highest figure was in the Ribble Valley at 73.3.

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