Record-breaking number of babies born in London, Ont., hospital in 2024

London, Ont.'s largest hospital is celebrating a record-breaking number of births there last year, with a five per cent increase from its record set in 2022. 

A total of 6,452 babies were delivered between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), the hospital said Monday, surpassing its record of 6,139. 

"The numbers are truly astounding," said Dr. Tracey Crumley, department head of obstetrics and gynecology at LHSC.

"We're thrilled to have welcomed so many new lives into the world last year. It's a testament to the hard work of our Women's Care and Children's Hospital teams, and to the trust our patients and families place in us."

As Canada records historically low birth rates across the country, London stands out as a common destination for younger couples to settle and start their families. 

"Since the pandemic, people have realized that they can relocate to places other than the Greater Toronto Area and they can afford houses here," Crumley said. "They come here, get established, and then they are ready to have their children." 

Of the births, there were 135 sets of twins and six sets of triplets, LHSC said. Fridays were the busiest day of the week and July the busiest month. On average, the hospital saw 17 babies arrive each day. On its busiest day, there were 22.  

A small number of the patients came from the Strathroy area, said Crumley. The Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital (SMGH) closed its obstetrics department last spring due to low birth rates in the area along with staffing shortages. 

"It wasn't a huge influx of volume that's coming from there," she said. "What we have found is that because of our increased numbers we've actually had to restrict a little bit to people that are outside of our region. We will take high risk obviously from anywhere in the region, but when numbers get high we have to be a little bit more restrictive than we had been, I would say, prior to the pandemic."

Approximately 69 per cent of patients who delivered babies were residents of London, 11 per cent from Middlesex County, 19 per cent from southwestern Ontario and one per cent from elsewhere.

The hospital's early discharge program helped staff handle the flow of deliveries, Crumley added. The collaboration between obstetrics and midwifery allows for patients who are low risk and healthy to leave the hospital as soon as they can, thanks to follow up at home from the midwifery team.       

"From obstetricians and anesthesiologists to midwives, nurses, personal support workers, aides, residents and registration clerks, it was truly all hands on deck," said Crumley. "The collaboration between our various teams has been nothing short of remarkable, and we're looking forward to welcoming more little ones into the world together in 2025."