Interior Health sees birthrate baby bump

Last year, Interior Health welcomed 6,136 newborns in our hospitals, an increase of 489 births or a nine per cent increase over 2020.

“Interior Health is happily welcoming our tiniest patients to the world as communities grow throughout the region,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “I would like to congratulate all of the families who welcomed newborns last year and thank our dedicated maternity teams for ensuring the highest quality of care for these little ones and their families.”

Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail saw the largest percentage increase with a 30 per cent increase in births compared to 2020. Kelowna General Hospital saw the largest increase in births with 197 more babies being born in 2021 compared to the previous year.

In 2021, Interior Health saw an average of 511 births per month, while in 2020, the average was 471 births per month.

* Other hospitals include 100 Mile House District Hospital, Boundary Hospital, Lillooet Hospital, Nicola Valley Hospital, and South Okanagan General Hospital.

For a list of the number of births by community, including home births, see information available from Vital Stats: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/statistics-reports/births.