Health boss at York and Scarborough NHS Trust says World Cup will ‘absolutely’ increase birth rates
The World Cup will ‘definitely’ increase birth rates, according to a senior clinician at the York and Scarborough NHS Trust.
Low fertility rates in North Yorkshire could be impacted by the 2026 World Cup which starts next month, health bosses have said.
The fertility rate in York remains among the lowest in England and health inequalities continue to impact birth rates in coastal areas such as Scarborough.
However, the director of midwifery at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has predicted that there is likely to be a spike in births next spring.
Speaking at a trust board meeting on Wednesday, May 27, Sascha Wells-Munro OBE, Director of Midwifery and Strategic Clinical Lead for Family Health, said “Since I’ve been here, we’ve not seen a significant drop in the birth rate.”
Commenting on the upcoming FIFA World Cup, she said: “It will increase with the World Cup, definitely, it absolutely will.”
At a meeting last month, Ms Wells-Munro explained that the maternity service was impacted less by the birth rate than by the high rate of pregnancies not proceeding to full term, often due to health inequalities.
She added that the Trust had “only seen a small drop in our birth rate in comparison to other organisations – Harrogate have seen a much bigger drop in their birth rate in comparison to ours for head of population. We aren’t seeing women actively choose to go elsewhere.”
Research published in the PeerJ medical journal in 2024 found that “major sporting tournaments may be associated with increased birth rates 9 months afterwards, possibly due to celebratory sex”.
It found that sporting tournaments, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2016 UEFA Euros and the 2019 Rugby World Cup, were associated with increases in the number of babies born around nine months after notable team wins and/or the hosting the tournament.
It also found that “unexpected losses by teams from a premier soccer league were associated with a decline in births 9 months on”.
According to the women’s aid charity Solace, citing a study by Lancaster University, when England lose a World Cup game, incidents of domestic violence increase by 38 per cent and by 26 per cent when they win.
The charity said that major sporting events are “the catalyst for a rise in domestic violence”.
“It is a heady combination of tribalism resulting in ‘toxic masculinity’ and aggressive behaviour triggered by alcohol consumption. They experience the emotional stress of the game, and there is a whole issue around competitiveness and testosterone levels.”
In 2024, Women’s Aid launched the ‘No More Years of Hurt’ campaign highlighting the spike in domestic abuse during big football games.
Women can call The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night. The staff will offer confidential, non-judgemental information and support.
Men can call Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 (Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm) for non-judgemental information and support.