Will the birth peak soon be between 35 and 44?
One thing is certain, it is in the process of shifting over time, as explained by an unpublished report from Public Health France which has scrutinized all the existing data on the state of health of the mother, the fetus and from 2010 to 2019. While care in France remains at a “high and stable” level, it varies greatly overseas and the evolution of certain indicators in mainland France is “worrying”.
First observation: with the exception of Guyana, the number of births has fallen everywhere, from a total of 841,000 in 2010 to 734,000 in 2019, which is explained both by a decrease in fertility among women the youngest and by later pregnancies.
Thus, in 2019, we give birth at 30.1 years against 29.4 years in 2010. “High maternal age is a risk factor for a number of complications, such as gestational diabetes, disorders related to hypertension during pregnancy but also during childbirth,” explains Nolwenn Regnault, head of the perinatal unit at Public Health France.
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The first, which results in an increase in the amount of sugar in the blood, has even doubled in nine years, from 6.7% to 13.6%.
This increase is also explained by a lowering of the screening threshold and an increase in overweight and obesity.
Another problem to target, if pregnant women smoke less than twenty years ago, half are unable to get rid of cigarettes, i.e. 16.2% according to the latest figures from 2016.
Understand why infant mortality is increasing
In this 160-page document, the precariousness of mothers also seems to be getting worse.
There are more of them in an irregular situation with state medical aid (AME) and homeless.
In Île-de-France, this rate increased from 0.58% to 2.28% between 2015 and 2019. “On this subject, additional work will be undertaken”, details Nolwenn Regnault.
Other indicators of concern will be researched.
A slight increase in the refusal of neonatal screening, which consists after birth of looking for six pathologies in the baby in order to identify rare but serious diseases and to take care of them.
"We still have to understand why," continues the specialist.
Same question on the increase in infant mortality, recorded throughout the territory, while it is decreasing in other European countries.
Public Health France is working on the subject and a working group has been set up with the Directorate General for Health.
“We have to understand why, explains Nolwenn Regnault.
It is a priority.
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