Map(s) of the Week: Childbirth, week 2

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Map: Average number of previous children, 2007

Map: Average birth weight, 2007

Map: Average length of pregnancy, 2007

This week continues our series on childbirth in the GTA.

The information comes from data I bought from the Office of the Registrar-General, which was taken from the Statement of Live Birth form (.pdf) which is filled out when a child is born in Ontario. 

All the maps are based on the first three characters of the postal code of the mother, and show data from 2007, the most recent year available.

This week's maps look at: average number of mother’s previous children; average length of pregnancy in weeks; and average birth weight in grams.

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The central city, more or less the former City of Toronto minus the east downtown, has fairly low numbers of previous children (map), and the core plus the Annex and Kensington has a lower rate still. My assumption here is that first births are more common among a younger population.

Higher numbers are recorded in Thorncliffe Park, two postal codes around Lawrence and the Allan, Jane/Finch and Rexdale, and two postal codes around Dixon Rd. and Islington.

Here are the 10 highest:

M6A	Lawrence Manor/Lawrence Heights	2.43
M9R	Willowridge/The Westway/Richview (E of 401/427)	2.25
L5K	Mississauga, Dundas and Winston Churchill	2.24
L0J	Kleinburg	2.17
M3N	Jane/Finch	2.13
M4H	Thorncliffe Park	2.11
M9P	SE of Islington/401	2.11
M1G	Golfdale Gardens (Golf Club Rd/Lawrence)	2.08
M5N	SE of Lawrence/Bathurst	2.07
L7K	NW Caledon	2.04

and 10 lowest:

M5R	Annex	1.46
M2K	York Mills	1.45
M2N	SW of 401/Bayview	1.45
M4Y	Church/Wellesley	1.44
M5E	St. Lawrence	1.4
L7S	Burlington N of Skyway	1.38
M5J	Lakeshore condos/Island	1.27
M5V	West downtown, Niagara	1.26
M5C	Yonge/King/Jarvis/Queen	1.21
M5H	North of downtown financial district	1.09

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The birth weight map shows high birth weights in the outer 905 generally (scroll the map out) and in some downtown neighbourhoods: the Beaches, Riverdale, Bloor West Village/Swansea, Bloor West Village/High Park and Rosedale. The pale blue on the average length of pregnancy map, showing somewhat shorter pregnancies, very roughly tracks the check-mark shape of low-income areas in Toronto.

Here are the top 10:

L1Y	North Pickering	3572.18
L0C	Scugog	3555.28
L7B	King City	3525.37
L1B	Newcastle	3514.13
M5C	Yonge/King/Jarvis/Queen	3507.41
L0H	North Pickering	3506.4
L1E	Courtice	3501.35
L0P	Campbellville and area	3495.75
L9P	Uxbridge	3495.34
L0B	E Scugog	3487.62

and the bottom 10:

L3S	14th Ave/Markham Rd in Markham	3214.52
M1L	Oakridge/Clairlea (southeast Scarborough)	3213.59
L5C	Erindale	3209.99
M4A	Victoria Village	3203.64
M1X	NE Scarborough	3202.71
L4T	Malton	3199.48
M1C	SE Scarborough	3196.52
M3N	Jane/Finch	3193.44
M5G	Yonge/College/University/Queen	3189.46
M1G	Golfdale Gardens (Golf Club Rd/Lawrence)	3188.11

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As with the birth weight map, the outer 905 has longer average pregnancies, along with some neighbourhoods in the central city: the downtown condos, Rosedale, Bloor West Village/Swansea, Bloor West Village/High Park and the U of T area.  

Here are the top 10:

M5H	North of downtown financial district	39.55
M5V	West downtown, Niagara	39.29
L1Y	North Pickering	39.27
M5J	Lakeshore condos/Island	39.26
M4W	Rosedale	39.15
M5C	Yonge/King/Jarvis/Queen	39.15
L0C	Scugog	39.13
L6K	SW Oakville	39.13
M6P	Bloor West Village/High Park	39.11
L0H	North Pickering	39.1

and the bottom 10:

M2L	E York Mills	38.49
M6L	401/Jane/Lawrence/CNR	38.48
L6Y	SW Brampton	38.47
M1E	West Hill/Guildwood	38.47
M3L	W Downsview	38.47
M3B	Bridle Path/Don Mills	38.45
L1Z	Ajax	38.44
L1L	NE Oshawa	38.42
L0J	Kleinburg	38.28
M1C	SE Scarborough	38.28