Oh baby! Interior sees nine per cent bump in newborns
The Interior is seeing a bit of a baby boom.
Interior Health (IH) says 6,136 babies were born at its hospitals last year, an increase of 489 births, or a nine per cent leap, 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.”
IH does not provide any possible reasons for the baby bump, or if it could be related to the pandemic.
Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail saw the largest percentage increase with a 30 per cent hike 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.
IH says 827 babies were born at Vernon Jubilee Hospital last year, an increase of 56, or seven per cent.
In 2021, Interior Health saw an average of 511 births per month, while in 2020 the average was 471 births per month.
| IH Hospital | 2020 | 2021 | # Change | % Change |
| Cariboo Memorial Hospital | 299 | 296 | -3 | -1% |
| Creston Valley Hospital | 53 | 50 | -3 | -6% |
| East Kootenay Regional Hospital | 391 | 409 | 18 | 5% |
| Elk Valley Hospital | 117 | 119 | 2 | 2% |
| Golden & District Hospital | 58 | 58 | 0 | 0% |
| Invermere & District Hospital | 13 | 15 | 2 | 15% |
| Kelowna General Hospital | 1,611 | 1,808 | 197 | 12% |
| Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital | 182 | 236 | 54 | 30% |
| Kootenay Lake Hospital | 239 | 254 | 15 | 6% |
| Penticton Regional Hospital | 465 | 570 | 105 | 23% |
| Queen Victoria Hospital | 77 | 82 | 5 | 6% |
| Royal Inland Hospital | 1,186 | 1,228 | 42 | 4% |
| Shuswap Lake General Hospital | 172 | 174 | 2 | 1% |
| Vernon Jubilee Hospital | 771 | 827 | 56 | 7% |
| Other IH Hospitals* | 13 | 10 | -3 | -23% |
| Total Hospital Births | 5,647 | 6,136 | 489 | 9% |
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.