By BILLY ADAMS
SYDNEY - Australia's obsession with sport is reaping unexpected rewards.
The success of their athletes at the Sydney Olympics spurred Aussies into impressive performances between the sheets.
After years of static birth rates, New South Wales has been hit by a mini baby boom. Birth rates have shot up by more than 10 per cent since the Games last year.
Cathy Freeman and Ian "The Thorpedo" Thorpe have got a lot to answer for.
Experts believe the feelgood factor generated by their performances was felt long after the event.
Dr Trevor Mudge, vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, believes the results are evidence of "post Olympic euphoria".
"It's only in the last 50 years that we as a society have had the luxury of being able to decide to have children," said Mudge, an obstetrician.
"The birth rate has stayed around 250,000 every year for the last decade, so to have such a jump in one state in one year is significant.
"I think there is a correlation between personal optimism and making a decision to have children, and perhaps the Olympics provided that optimism."
The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages show 79,521 births were registered, an increase of 11.7 per cent on the same period last year.
Boys outnumbered girls by just over 2000.
There were 1296 sets of twins, 81 sets of triplets and one set of quads.
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