CONFINEMENTS
A confinement is a pregnancy which results in at least one live birth. During 2005 there were 4,140 confinements in the ACT.
Median age of parents
The median age of mothers for all confinements in the ACT during 2005 was 31.4 years. The median age for nuptial confinements (31.9 years) was higher than for exnuptial confinements (28.7 years).
For fathers in the ACT during 2005, the median age for all confinements was 33.4 years. The median age for fathers of nuptial confinements was 33.9 years, higher than for fathers of exnuptial confinements where paternity was acknowledged (31.1 years).
Nuptial and exnuptial confinements
In the ACT during 2005, 73% (3,000) of all confinements occurred in a registered marriage. Of these 44% (1,300) were the first confinement of the marriage. Nationally, 68% of all confinements occurred in a registered marriage and 43% of these were first confinements.
Of the 1,100 exnuptial confinements in the ACT during 2005, paternity was acknowledged in 91% (1,000) of cases. This was similar to the national proportion of 90%.
