97 pēpē born in Tairāwhiti in January and February

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

New figures from Health NZ Tairāwhiti show 61 pēpē (babies) were born in January and 36 in February at Gisborne Hospital’s Puawai Aroha Maternity Unit.

In January there were 35 boys and 26 girls born, with the heaviest baby weighing 4650 grams and the lightest 2115g.

In February there were 21 girls and 15 boys born.

The heaviest baby came in at 4910g and the smallest at 1660g.

Ten days ago the Herald reported that Gisborne, along with Northland, had the highest fertility rate at 2.3 births per woman compared to a national average of 1.7.

Mothers from Gisborne and Northland also had the youngest median age at the time of birth (28.4 and 28.9 years respectively for births during 2017–19).

The number of births in Gisborne declined from 894 in 1991 to a low of 654 in 2014, according to Stats NZ.

Last year 687 births were recorded here.

In 2023 there were 56,955 live births and 37,884 deaths registered in New Zealand, resulting in a natural increase (live births minus deaths) of 19,071.

The infant mortality rate was 3.5 deaths per 1000 live births.

The total fertility rate was 1.56, down from 1.66 in the year ended December 2022.

Life expectancy was 80.3 years for newborn boys and 83.7 years for newborn girls.

Health NZ Tairāwhiti wished “a huge mihi to our amazing midwives, lead maternity carers, and the wider team for their mahi and awhi taking care of all our new arrivals and parents”.

“They all do such an awesome job for our community.”

“Congratulations and wishing the best to the little ones and their whānau!”