Characteristics of sole registered births and the mothers who register them.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-clinical demographic longitudinal cohort and registry study (level by design analogy).
What was done
This study used birth registration data to examine trends in sole registrations (live births where no father was recorded on the birth certificate) over a two-decade period. It additionally analyzed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Longitudinal Study to assess the characteristics of mothers born between 1955 and 1962 who had ever experienced a sole registered birth.
What was found
Sole registrations as a proportion of all births remained fairly constant over the two decades preceding the study, with some evidence of a decrease starting in 1998. Approximately 9% of mothers born between 1955 and 1962 had a sole registration. Compared to other mothers, those with a sole registration began childbearing approximately 4 years younger, had larger families overall, and were more likely to come from a lower social class background. No other exact figures or effect sizes are provided in the abstract.
Why it matters
These findings characterize the maternal demographic and socioeconomic profiles associated with sole birth registrations in the United Kingdom, illustrating persistent links between early childbearing, larger family size, and social class.
Limits
The abstract does not state the total sample size (n) for the registration dataset or the ONS Longitudinal Study cohort. Exact numerical values for family size, social class distributions, and confidence intervals or significance values are not reported. Findings are limited to registration practices and demographics in the United Kingdom.
Cited by
- supports In UK Office for National Statistics data, father information is missing for approximately 7% of registered births.