TWINS AND TRIPLETS A PLENTY IN BOOM STATE
Published Sunday, 11 March, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Queenslanders will be seeing double more often with multiple births hitting record numbers in the Smart State.
Premier Peter Beattie, who has 21-year old twin sons said since 1996-97, the total number of multiple births in Queensland had markedly increased.
“In the last nine years, Queensland has seen a 40 per cent increase in multiple births, from 1,388 (1996-97) to 1,932 (2005-06),” Mr Beattie said.
“There are now more than 15,000 Queensland-born twins, triplets and quadruplets aged 10 years or under and having twin boys of our own, my wife Heather and I know how a multiple birth can change your life.
“It can be particularly demanding for families when the children are young, but with the many challenges comes many rewards,” he said.
Mr Beattie revealed the birth figures as part of Multiple Birth Awareness Week, which starts today (Sunday).
“Our public hospitals alone welcomed 1,117 babies born from multiple births while Queensland’s private hospitals delivered 815,” Mr Beattie said.
“Of the total 55,677 births in Queensland in 2005-06, 3.5 per cent were multiple.
“These births include 929 sets of twins, 22 sets of triplets and two sets of quadruplets.”
“Mums on Brisbane’s northside were Queensland’s leading twin producers with a multiple birth rate 3.9 per cent from a total of 10,315 births.
“They were followed by the Gold Coast with 3.8 per cent and the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay both with 3.7 per cent.”
“No twins or triplets came from Central West Queensland while the Torres Strait was also low with less than one percent of total births being twins or triplets.”
Mr Beattie said Multiple Birth Awareness Week was supported by the Australian Multiple Birth Association.
“The Association provides information and support to the thousands of mums and dads with twins, triplets, quads and more,” he said.
“Any parent understands that raising an infant is hard and stressful work, and from personal experience I know raising two or more at the same time can be twice as difficult and stressful.
“And to recognise this, the Queensland Government - through Queensland Health - provides additional support to multiple birth families such as visits from child health staff and by linking parents with other support agencies, such as the Australian Multiple Birth Association.”
Mr Beattie said private hospitals delivered a higher rate of twins and triplets than public hospitals – 4.7 per cent compared to 2.9 per cent.
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Media contact: 0448 757 086
Premier Peter Beattie, who has 21-year old twin sons said since 1996-97, the total number of multiple births in Queensland had markedly increased.
“In the last nine years, Queensland has seen a 40 per cent increase in multiple births, from 1,388 (1996-97) to 1,932 (2005-06),” Mr Beattie said.
“There are now more than 15,000 Queensland-born twins, triplets and quadruplets aged 10 years or under and having twin boys of our own, my wife Heather and I know how a multiple birth can change your life.
“It can be particularly demanding for families when the children are young, but with the many challenges comes many rewards,” he said.
Mr Beattie revealed the birth figures as part of Multiple Birth Awareness Week, which starts today (Sunday).
“Our public hospitals alone welcomed 1,117 babies born from multiple births while Queensland’s private hospitals delivered 815,” Mr Beattie said.
“Of the total 55,677 births in Queensland in 2005-06, 3.5 per cent were multiple.
“These births include 929 sets of twins, 22 sets of triplets and two sets of quadruplets.”
“Mums on Brisbane’s northside were Queensland’s leading twin producers with a multiple birth rate 3.9 per cent from a total of 10,315 births.
“They were followed by the Gold Coast with 3.8 per cent and the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay both with 3.7 per cent.”
“No twins or triplets came from Central West Queensland while the Torres Strait was also low with less than one percent of total births being twins or triplets.”
Mr Beattie said Multiple Birth Awareness Week was supported by the Australian Multiple Birth Association.
“The Association provides information and support to the thousands of mums and dads with twins, triplets, quads and more,” he said.
“Any parent understands that raising an infant is hard and stressful work, and from personal experience I know raising two or more at the same time can be twice as difficult and stressful.
“And to recognise this, the Queensland Government - through Queensland Health - provides additional support to multiple birth families such as visits from child health staff and by linking parents with other support agencies, such as the Australian Multiple Birth Association.”
Mr Beattie said private hospitals delivered a higher rate of twins and triplets than public hospitals – 4.7 per cent compared to 2.9 per cent.
|
District of Usual Residence |
Total Births |
Multiple Births |
% of births that are multiple |
|
Cairns and Hinterland |
3,388 |
81 |
2.4 |
|
Cape York |
263 |
6 |
2.3 |
|
Central Qld |
2,853 |
103 |
3.6 |
|
Central West |
164 |
- |
0.0 |
|
FraserCoast |
1,012 |
20 |
2.0 |
|
Gold Coast |
4,753 |
182 |
3.8 |
|
Mackay |
2,009 |
66 |
3.3 |
|
Mt Isa |
646 |
10 |
1.5 |
|
Northside |
10,315 |
404 |
3.9 |
|
South West |
432 |
14 |
3.2 |
|
Southside |
14,041 |
507 |
3.6 |
|
SunshineCoast and Cooloola |
3,775 |
141 |
3.7 |
|
Toowoomba and Darling Downs |
3,493 |
121 |
3.5 |
|
Torres Strait |
283 |
2 |
0.7 |
|
Townsville |
3,205 |
112 |
3.5 |
|
West Moreton South Burnett |
3,381 |
97 |
2.9 |
|
WideBay |
1,186 |
44 |
3.7 |
|
Not stated |
6 |
- |
0.0 |
|
Overseas |
27 |
- |
0.0 |
|
ACT |
3 |
2 |
66.7 |
|
NSW |
401 |
20 |
5.0 |
|
NT |
16 |
- |
0.0 |
|
SA |
2 |
- |
0.0 |
|
Vic |
10 |
- |
0.0 |
|
WA |
13 |
- |
0.0 |
|
Total |
55,677 |
1,932 |
3.5 |
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Media contact: 0448 757 086