Pregnancy and births: key points

• In Scotland, as in many other western European countries, women are tending to start their reproductive lives later. 
• It is thought that approximately one-third of all conceptions are miscarried. The miscarriage may not be recorded or even recognised by the woman. 
• In 2008, there were 13.1 therapeutic abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 years. 
• The stillbirth rate in 2008 was 5.4 per 1000 total births. 
• There has been a marked rise in multiple births in recent years; in 2008, 1.6% of maternities were multiple. 
• In 2008, only 26.7% of babies in Scotland were exclusively breastfed at 6-8 weeks, compared with the 2010/11 target of 33.3%.

Note: teenage pregnancies and are covered in the Sexual health section of this website.

Page update: The last update of this page was completed in September 2009. The next review is due to be carried out by end September 2010.