Number of babies born on Gulf Islands
How many babies of Gulf Islands parents were born at home on the island in 2009; at Lady Minto Hospital; or at other hospitals (Vic General, Cowichan)?
— GS, Salt Spring Island
The challenge for this one is that the B.C. Vital Statistics Agency — the government entity that records B.C. births via birth certificates issued — tracks births according to birth location, not the parents’ place of residence.
“For all new live births in B.C., parents must fill out a Registration of Birth form within 30 days and return it to the Vital Stats Agency,” explains Brian Cotton, a Ministry of Health Services spokesperson, in an email message. “Stats are, in turn, gathered from these registration forms.”
So while data is not available for how many Gulf Islands parents gave birth off-island, Vital Stats can give us a snapshot of births that took place locally.
In 2009, more babies (17) were born in non-hospital locations (i.e. at home) versus those born at Lady Minto Hospital on Salt Spring (12).
Last week, registered midwife Maggie Ramsey said she and other Salt Spring midwives usually assist with around 60 births per year on the island.
“2009 was no different,” she said.
An overall 2009 birth number for the other Gulf Islands was not available.
However, even using a number like 60 means that more than half of the babies born to Gulf Islands parents were born off the islands, presumably in hospitals. But the islands’ home birth ratio is still much higher than it is in the rest of the province.
In B.C. there were 43,569 hospital births versus 1,058 non-hospital births in 2009.
