Booming babies

France is one of the few European countries whose population growth comes from births rather than immigration.

According to the country’s statistics agency INSEE, more babies were born here during 2006 than in any year in the past quarter of a century. Over 830,000 babies arrived in that year (the highest number since 1981) taking the French population to 63.4 million.

The fertility rate is now two children per woman, up from 1.92 in 2005. INSEE reports this has been climbing since 1996, but has still not reached 2.1, the rate considered adequate to replace a population in developed countries.

The government says the figures are a victory for its family-friendly healthcare policies, cheap day care, generous post-natal parental leave and a wide range of other social and financial benefits.

08.03.2007

News • Dynamic supramolecular peptide therapy

Injection could protect the brain after a stroke

Scientists from Northwestern University have developed an injectable regenerative nanomaterial that helps protect the brain during the vulnerable window after a stroke.

News • Drivers of gray matter injury

Multiple sclerosis: Promising biomarker linked to progression and brain inflammation

A new University of Toronto-led study has discovered a possible biomarker linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression that could help identify patients most likely to benefit from new drugs.

News • Critical check for deep learning models

AI labeling in radiology: filling in the missing step

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered a practical way to detect and fix common AI labeling errors in large collections of radiology images.