Release: October 16, 2023
How did the mothers’ pregnancies and the birth of their babies go? What are the characteristics of the babies’ parents and families? How are the babies doing at 5 months of age? What do we know about how the babies are being fed and how much they are sleeping?
The results presented on this page are based on the first available data from the Growing Up in Québec study. This large-scale longitudinal study aims to better understand the factors that can influence the development and well-being of children. To this end, we are following a cohort of 4,703 children that is representative of children born in Québec in 2020–2021 until they reach adulthood.
On this page:
Few babies exposed to tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy
A majority of babies have been breastfed
Babies’ sleep improves over the months
Few babies exposed to tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy
The vast majority (88%) of babies were not exposed to alcohol during their mother’s pregnancy. The biological mothers of about 10% of babies consumed alcohol once a month or less during pregnancy, and the mothers of only 1.8% of babies consumed alcohol more than once a month.
The biological mothers of most babies (92%) did not smoke during pregnancy, while the mothers of about 8% of babies smoked cigarettes at some point during their pregnancy. The proportion of babies whose biological mother smoked daily during the first trimester of pregnancy is about 4.7%. This proportion is about 4.0% for the two following trimesters.
Babies are in good health
The majority (94%) of babies were born full term, and about 5% of babies had a low birth weight.
Most deliveries took place at the hospital (97% of children). Approximately 2.8% took place at a birthing centre, and about 0.7% at home or in another location.
Place of delivery
Children aged about 5 months, Québec, 2021–2022
Note
* Coefficient of variation between 15% and 25%; interpret with caution.
Source
Institut de la statistique du Québec, Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, 2nd edition, 2021–2022.
Among the parents who were consulted, those of 93% of babies consider that their baby was in excellent (72%) or very good health (21%) at the age of 5 months.
Parent’s perception of baby’s health
Children aged about 5 months, Québec, 2021–2022
Note
* Coefficient of variation between 15% and 25%; interpret with caution.
Source
Source: Institut de la statistique du Québec, Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, 2nd edition, 2021–2022.
Approximately 9 out of 10 babies have a family doctor or pediatrician. About 51% of babies did not see a doctor for a health problem or illness after birth, 23% saw a doctor once, and 8% saw a doctor four times or more.
A majority of babies have been breastfed
About 80% of babies were breastfed for at least one month, and 62% for at least 5 months.
Sleep improves over the months
The parents of about 6% of babies reported that their child slept through the night from birth. About 62% of children slept through the night at the age of 5 months.
At about 5 months, nearly 3 out of 4 babies (72%) slept a total of 10 hours or more per night on average.
The family environment of babies
At 5 months, the majority of babies were living with both of their parents (94%).
About 6 in 10 babies (59%) were living with at least one other child under the age of 18.
Nearly a third (32%) of babies have at least one parent who was born outside Canada. Both parents (or the single parent) of about 22% of babies were born in another country.
The mothers of about half of babies (49%) and the fathers of nearly 38% of babies have a university degree or diploma.
At 5 months, nearly 4 in 10 babies (39%) had an adult who read to them daily (or showed them pictures or wordless books), while about 18% had not yet been introduced to this activity.
The economic situation of families
The parents of most babies received or will receive benefits from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP).
The mothers of almost all babies had enough to eat during pregnancy, while the mothers of 1.7% of babies did not have enough to eat during their pregnancy due to a lack of money.
About 21% of babies live in a low-income household based on the Low Income Measure.
About 8% of babies live in a family that lacked the money to buy food at some point during the 12 months before the survey, and about 11% live in a family that lacked the money to pay the rent or mortgage.
Next releases
A complete and detailed portrait of babies and their families based on the first results from Growing Up in Québec will be made available in 2024 in the form of thematic reports. Sign up for e-mail notifications so you don’t miss anything.
About Growing Up in Québec
The main objective of the second edition of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), commonly known as Growing Up in Québec, is to better understand the factors that can affect the development and well-being of Québec children.
The children targeted by the study are those born in 2020–2021 to mothers living in Québec at the time their child was born. The first data collection for the study took place in all regions of the province from May 2021 to March 2022. In total, 4,703 families participated in the study.
On this page, the term mother means the biological mother or other maternal figure who was living with the 5-month-old child, unless otherwise specified. Nearly 100% of the children included in the study were living with their biological mother at that age. By father, we mean the biological or legal father or other paternal figure who was living with the 5-month-old child. Nearly 94% of the children included in the study were living with their biological or legal father at that age. The rest of the children were living with their biological mother only or with another parental figure.
The study is conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec in collaboration with various partners. It is funded by the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, the Ministère de la Famille, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Ministère de l’Éducation, the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale, and the Institut de la statistique du Québec. This webpage is funded by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.
For more information about the study, read the study fact sheet.
For more information about the methodological aspects of the study, read the methodological report (PDF, 1,6 Mb).
