The average number of births per month at the Health Sciences Complex in St. John’s has increased substantially in recent months.

Division Chief for Obstetrics at the Health Sciences Center, Dr. Chris Holden says the number of births per month is up from the average over the last five years.

He says the average number of births each month over the last five years has been in the range from 180 to 200. This year, and in the last few months in particular, the monthly average has increased to about 215.

Dr. Holden attributes the increase to a possible delay in starting or expanding families at the start of the pandemic.

He says they may be seeing the number of people who may have delayed their plans to have a baby last year, superimposed on the number of pregnancies that would have happened this year anyway.