Mitch and Kathryn Sutton with new baby Beau, who was born on the morning of January 2. Beau was the first baby born at ERH for 2025. Photos: Oliver Shedden.
Photo by
Oliver Shedden
2024 was a big year of new editions for Echuca Regional Health, with 348 bundles of joy being born in the maternity ward.
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Now, just two days into 2025 and the first of many new babies for the year was born on on Thursday, January 2.
Mitch and Kathryn Sutton welcomed their second son, Beau Leslie Sutton, at 7.53am, just 15 minutes after arriving at ERH from their home in Numurkah.
Beau weighed 3.33kg at the time of birth and is now the younger brother to 20-month-old Lewis.
Just a couple of days earlier, Echuca locals Emma and Liam Russell also welcomed their second son, Teddy John Russell, on Tuesday, December 31, the last baby born at ERH for 2024.
Teddy came into the world two weeks early at 2.40am, weighing in at 3.76kg and measuring 50.5cm long.
Teddy’s older brother, Dash, was at the hospital with his parents looking after his new brother.
These new editions come as Australia is currently seeing an all-time low in fertility rates, with an average of 1.5 babies born per woman.
ERH has experienced this downturn in the past two years, with 450 births occurring at the hospital in 2022, over 100 more than in 2024.
Emma and Liam Russell welcomed their second son, Teddy John Russell, with their eldest son, Dash. Teddy was the last baby born at ERH for 2024.
Photo by
Oliver Shedden
ERH maternity unit manager Karen Taylor reflected on the decline in births at the hospital and also emphasised that there hadn’t been a consistent period of the year when birth numbers had spiked.
“The number of babies born this year has been pretty consistent with what we have seen over the last two years,” she said
“(Declining birth rates) seems to be a trend across the state.
“In terms of when babies are being born throughout the year, we haven’t had a peak at any one time, it has been pretty spread out this year (2024).
“In years past, we have seen noticeable periods where more people are having babies, but there is no consistency across years.”
Ms Taylor highlighted that parents came to ERH from across northern Victoria to have their children due to the high standard of care.
“We have people come here from far and wide, people from the other side of Cohuna come this way and out at Cobram and the other side of Deniliquin too,” she said.
“We get people who want to come here to have their baby because of our fantastic reputation.
“I have the absolute best team of midwives and doctors to work with. This community should be pleased with the standard of care that’s provided here.”
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