Number of teen mothers down

The number of teen mothers has fallen again.

The latest figures from the CSO show the number of births by women under 20 has fallen from 2,426 in 2008 to 2,223 last year.

Since the establishment of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency in 2001, the number of births by teenagers has fallen from 3,087 to the current level.

“These figures indicate that initiatives to increase young people’s knowledge about relationships and sexuality are having an impact in reducing teenage pregnancy," said Caroline Spillane, director of the HSE's Crisis Pregnancy programme.

"When we were first established, parents consistently told us how difficult they found it to bring up the subject of sex with their children and asked for help in talking about the issue.

"Parents are to be commended for making great efforts to give their children the information they need to make healthy decisions about relationships and sex.”