Birthplace: Pregnancy and childbirth (resident population)

Care for pregnancy, childbirth and newborns has a strategic value in the health system, in view of the effects on the well-being of the entire population and this is why it becomes important to monitor its characteristics and criticalities. During 2015 5,491 children were born in the Province of Bolzano, of whom 5,166 were born from mothers residing in the province (94.1 %), registered through the Certificate of Childbirth Care (Cedap); in 2015 there was a fairly significant decrease in the number of children born both compared to 2014 (5.701 born) and compared to the average of previous years (average number in the years 2011-2014 of around 5,600 births). Almost all parties took place at the six birth points in the province, only 29 births took place at home. In general, South Tyrol’s data, compared to national average data, continue to provide a positive picture of both pregnancy care and neonatal outcomes. The birth rate** of 10.3 live births per 1,000 inhabitants is the highest recorded in Italy in 2015 (national average of 8.0 live births per 1,000 inhabitants). In the context of the use of invasive prenatal surveys, South Tyrolean women who undergo at least one invasive prenatal survey over the age of 35 represent 12.6 % (continuously decreasing value over the years). This figure also shows decreases in other Italian regions (in Emilia Romagna***, for example, from 1 in two women, there has been 1 in five women, who undergo at least one prenatal survey). This phenomenon can be explained by the increase in the supply of non-invasive screening tests in recent years. * With 1.4.2015 the birth point of the San Candido Hospital has been closed. ** Source: Demographic indicators 2015 — ISTAT ***Source: Birth in Emilia Romagna — 12 Report on CEDAP data — Year 2014