Blackpool Council Annual Health Report 2019 Blackpool Council Annual Health Report PAGES | Page 12

FACTS AND FIGURES In Blackpool, we have approximately 1,600 live births a year with a live birth rate of 70.6 per 1,000 women (known as the ‘general fertility rate’). Only 3.9% of births in Blackpool were to black or minority ethnic (BME) mothers (2016/2017), which is in keeping with our relatively low proportion of the whole Blackpool population from BME groups (approximately 3%). Being born prematurely or with a low birthweight (LBW) due to growth restriction during pregnancy (classified as below 2500g or below 2000g for very low birth weight, VLBW) can increase the risk of health problems in the first weeks of life and increase hospital stays for new-borns. LBW is associated with cognitive impairment and the development of chronic disease that can last into later life. In 2017, 5.3% of babies born at full-term had LBW (significantly higher than the England rate of 2.8%), and when incorporating premature births, 7.9% were LBW. Only 0.85% of all live births were classified as VLBW, which was not significantly higher than the national average. Blackpool experiences higher than average stillbirth, neonatal and infant mortality rates; however the actual number of deaths each year is small, which means the rates are subject to large annual variation and need to be interpreted with caution. In the last three year period recorded (2015-2017) there were 6.4 per 1,000 infant deaths (under one year) per 1,000 live births (compared to 3.9 per 1,000 in England). In 2016, there were 9.4 stillbirths and deaths under 28 days per 1,000 births in Blackpool (compared to 7.1 per 1,000 in England). THE FAMILY NURSE PARTNERSHIP work with young first time mothers, fathers and wider family to enable them to make choices which will support their child to achieve their optimum development, be school ready and have the best possible outcomes for the future. The same family nurse works with each family over two years to develop trusting, therapeutic relationships that promote engagement. They support parents to consider their child’s safety and think how their relationships can ensure a child is protected from harm. In 2018, the team worked with 150 families using a strength-based approach, underpinned by consideration of early trauma to ensure these often vulnerable families feel listened to and heard. Family nurses support parents to access other services, such as mental health or domestic violence services, in a targeted and individualised way to ensure families get the right support at the right time in the right place for them. 12