Baby boom levels out as effect of economy bites

IRELAND’S baby boom has begun to stabilise in the face of the country’s faltering economy as the latest figures show the number of births in 2010 remained static.

A total of 18,844 births were registered in the second quarter of last year — the same number as births recorded in the corresponding period in 2009.

New figures published by the CSO also show the recession may be impacting on the number of marriages, which were down by more than 6% in the second quarter of 2010.