18 - The Canadien ChampIon, Tuosday, October 19, 199» Cable's the home of innovation. lt's brought you basic chan nets, specialty chan nets, Pay Per View, digital television and music, and more. And we're constantly upgrading to make lit even better. In the future, you can expect things like telephony, high speed Internet. access, video-on-demand, web browsing, interactive TV and games. Ail through your cable. So stay tuned. And get ready for the future. www. cogeco. ca Hlalton weighing in with upbeat birth statistics. By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Halton womnen are wait- ing longer to have babies, the Region's health and social services committee has heard. But the babies they bear are often heaithier than the provincial florin. Those are the findings of a study issued by the Halton Regional Health Departinent and epidemiol- ogist Terry Delmore. The report, entitled Reproductive Outcomes in Halton, evaluated birth and babies tbrough data taken from 1991-95. It then compared the material with Ontario figures. The numbers add up to good health. Halton weighed in with fewer low birth weight babies than the provincial average. Low birth weight la defined as 2,500 grains or lesa, which trans- lates into about five pounda, five ounces. When tracking single births only (as opposed to twins or triplets), Halton's rate was 21 per cent lesa than the provincial rate over the five years. That could be related to the age of the women having the babies, "The news as good but you neyer want to be complacent. 1 don't want it to look like we're patting ourselves on the AM MULVIII said Mr. Delmore. Halton teens gave birth at haîf thse rate of thse province. "We have s low birth rate among our teens and teens are more likely to have a low birtis weight baby," he explained. The low incidence of teen moins isn't due to the availabillty of abor- tion, thse report hinted. Halton women had therapeutic abortions at about haîf the rate of provincial women, while ares teens had a rate significantly lower than Ontsos TI both Halton and the province, women aged 20-24 were responsi- ble for the largest number of abor- tions. Halton woroen also experience fewer still births, and infant deaths than their provincial counterparta. And Halton babies are less likely to be boro with birth defects. In a liat of 10 common birth defects, Halton camne out ahead of the province in nine. Particularly, Halton women were far lesa likely to give birth to babies suffering froro Down's Syndrome and congenital disloca- tion of the bip. ,That la despite the fact that Halton women are waiting longer to becoine moins. The nuniber of wonien who are having babies at age 30-34 has juinped almost 60 per cent since 1981. But good overali report card does not niean Halton cari slacken its push for optimuin reproductive health, said Oakville Mayor Arn Mulvale. "fie news la good but you neyer want to be complacet, she said. 11I don',t want it to look like we're patting ourselves on thse back." 2000 FRONTIER CREW CAB L sdealer for speaial financing, termandlsepcaefegi&ae xMOAC iie m fe