Live births in Wales by data source
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Metadata
- High level information
- Weblinks
- Summary information
- Keywords
- Statistical quality information
- Open Data
Title
Live births in Wales by data sourceLast update
August 2025Next update
July 2026 (provisional)Publishing organisation
Welsh GovernmentSource 1
National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD), Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)Source 2
Maternity Indicators data setSource 3
Births registrations, Office for National StatisticsContact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.walesDesignation
National StatisticsLowest level of geographical disaggregation
WalesGeographical coverage
WalesLanguages covered
English and WelshData licensing
You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licenceWeblinks
https://gov.wales/maternity-and-birth-statisticshttps://cwmtaf.wales/welsh-government-announce-decision-on-bridgend-boundary-change/
https://gov.wales/written-statement-health-board-boundary-bridgend-associated-planning
General description
These statistics are derived from two data sources: the Maternity Indicators dataset where a mother’s intention to breastfeed prior to birth is recorded and the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD) where data for breastfeeding at birth and for babies turning 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is recorded and refers to records where there was any breastfeeding. Both data sources are provided to the Welsh Government by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).The Maternity Indicators dataset was established in 2016. It combines records from a mother’s initial assessment with a child’s birth record and enables Welsh Government to monitor its initial set of outcome indicators and performance measures (Maternity Indicators). These were established to measure the effectiveness and quality of Welsh maternity services. The Maternity Indicators dataset allows us to analyse characteristics of the mother’s pregnancy and birth process, of which ‘intention to breastfeed’ is one. The process for producing this data is complex largely because there can be multiple initial assessment data and records for both initial assessments and births are not always complete.
Full details of every data item available on both the Maternity Indicators dataset and National Community Child Health Database are available through the NHS Wales Data Dictionary: http://www.datadictionary.wales.nhs.uk/#!WordDocuments/datasetstructure20.htm
The NCCHD was established in 2004 and consists of anonymised records for all children born, resident or treated in Wales and born after 1987. The database brings together data from local Community Child Health System databases which are held by local health boards (LHBs), and its main function is to provide an online record of a child’s health and care from birth to leaving school age. The statistics used in this release are based on the data recorded at birth and shortly after birth.
Data collection and calculation
Data from the Maternity Indicators dataset only includes initial assessment data where the initial assessment and birth both occurred in the same health board, in Wales only.Data should include all hospital births and some home births; however, due to the way data is recorded, we are unable to distinguish between home and hospital births in some health boards. Births to Welsh resident mothers who gave birth in England or in any other country outside of Wales are not included in the data.
Data for each calendar year refers to when the baby was born for both birth and initial assessment statistics. Initial assessments may have taken place in the previous year but would be counted in the year in which the birth occurred. This ensures data throughout a single pregnancy is recorded in the same year.
The NCCHD includes records of all children born in, resident in or receiving services in their relevant local health boards. This means the database contains some information for some children not currently residing in Wales; however, unless otherwise stated, all statistics produced from data sourced from this database is filtered to only include those children born in Wales.
The NCCHD records both live and stillbirths, however this analysis refers only to live births.
Frequency of publication
AnnualData reference periods
2001 to 2024Users, uses and context
These statistics are used in a variety of ways. Some examples of these are:• advice to Ministers
• to inform debate in the Welsh Parliament and beyond
• to make publicly available data on child health statistics in Wales
• monitoring service delivery
• policy development
• providing advice on infant feeding choices
The main users are:
• Ministers, policy officials and the Members Research Service
• local health boards
• the public
• the research community
• students, academics and universities
• Public Health Wales and other NHS organisations
• Breastfeeding support organisations
Rounding applied
No rounding appliedRevisions information
Both Maternity Indicators dataset and NCCHD are live databases, meaning health boards can amend data for any period. For the statistics in this release, DHCW take data extracts from a single point in time, for the latest calendar year. This means that if data extracts are taken for previous time periods, they may differ to the data which is published as it may have been revised by health boards. Welsh Government will not make revisions to historical data unless errors are discovered.Keywords
Live birthsStatistical quality
From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. For more information see the joint statement from Cwm Taf and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards (see weblinks). The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board becoming Swansea Bay University Health Board.Data for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cwm Taf are available for previous years in this table by selecting the tick boxes in the Area drop-down box.
More detailed information on the sources of data and analyses in this statistical release are provided in the quality report: https://www.gov.wales/maternity-and-birth-statistics-quality-report
