Four years ago today, it was reported that York had seen a 'Covid-19 baby boom', with data showing births were up 158 per cent.
The research by Reassured analysed ONS births data and combined it with local register office figures sourced via Freedom of Information requests.
It compared the number of registered babies compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Nearly 3,800 babies were registered in York from the start of the pandemic to mid-2021.
Over 1,700 of these babies were conceived and subsequently born in the city since the first lockdown.
March 2021 was the peak birthday month for ‘Covid babies’ in the City of York while July 2020 came out as the month when the most ‘Covid babies’ were conceived.
Across the country, March 23, 2021 was a peak date for new-borns in the UK, marking nine months after then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an easing of lockdown rules on June 23, 2020.
Another higher-than-normal birth rate was also reported in December, 2020 and January, 2021.
A spokesperson for Reassured said at the time: “With all Covid-19 restrictions now lifted, we’re finally able to look back and explore any more positive outcomes of such a challenging time.
“Our analysis shows many took the big step of having a child in lockdown, with nearly a quarter of a million new-born babies registered by parents from December 2020 – nine months after the restrictive Covid-19 measures were put in place.
“We always recommend that new parents consider investing in insurance to ensure their children have financial protection if the worst should happen. After so many difficult months, a little bit of extra reassurance for the future can go a long way.”
This story was first reported on by Natasha Meek on August 21, 2021.
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