The number of births at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson grew by six per cent in 2021 compared to the previous year.
In a news release, Interior Health says there were 254 births in 2021 versus 239 in 2020, an increase of 15.
The total number was slightly higher than Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail, which saw the greatest percentage increase in births among hospitals in Interior Health.
The health authority says 236 babies were born at the hospital in Trail in 2021, versus 182 in 2020, an increase of 54 births, or 30 per cent.
There was no immediate word why that might have been.
Overall the health region welcomed 6,136 newborns, an increase of 489, or nine per cent over 2020.
Kelowna General Hospital had the largest increase in actual numbers, with 1,808 born in 2021, up 197 from 2020.
In 2021, Interior Health saw an average of 511 births per month, while in 2020, the average was 471.
