Pride, parties and now World Cup babies for Germany

By Madeline Chambers

BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters Life!) - German hospitals are braced for a surge in births nine months after the host country of soccer's World Cup 2006 enjoyed an uncharacteristic wave of feel-good patriotism and parties, doctors say.

In a country worried about low birth rates, booming demand for pre-natal classes alerted Rolf Kliche, head of the Dr Koch clinic in the northern city of Kassel, to the phenomenon.

"We are looking at a 10 to 15 percent jump in births in early March which goes back to the World Cup," he told Reuters.

The party mood which gripped much of the nation between June 9 and July 9 last year helped couples who had struggled for years to conceive as well as leading to productive new liaisons.

"Biological factors are related to people being relaxed and in a good mood which explains the phenomenon," Kliche said.

His clinic delivered its first "World Cup Baby" on February 11. Pia Schmidt said her daughter Farina, born five weeks early, was conceived after Germany's 1:0 victory against Poland.

"I remember it perfectly. There was a great atmosphere, we had friends over and later the celebrations continued in the bedroom," Schmidt, 27, told Reuters from her hospital bed.

"We had wanted a child for some time and the midwife said the positive vibes during the World Cup released my hormones."

Hundreds of thousands of Germans from lederhosen-clad Bavarians to Turkish teenagers wrapped in German flags, poured onto the nation's streets to watch matches on open air screens and join a month-long party.

Large quantities of alcohol also played a role, said Kliche, who noted that not all pregnancies were planned. Hot, sunny weather coupled with the success of the national team -- which reached the semi finals -- helped Germans to stop grumbling.

"There is nothing worse for libido than depression and anything that puts people in a good mood boosts the sex drive," said gynecologist Horst Luebbert. "Events like this can cause (birth rate) fluctuations."

Some doctors said, however, a 10 percent rise in births across Germany was improbable given the demographics.

"We, too, expect a mini-boom from the World Cup, but I think a 3 to 5 percent rise is more likely than 10 percent," said Friedrich Wolff, head doctor at Cologne's Koeln-Holweide Clinic.

"That is still incredible for this country."

Germany has a population of about 82 million but fewer children were born here in 2005 than in any year since World War Two. With fewer than 1.4 babies per woman, Europe's biggest economy has the lowest birth rate in the world relative to its overall population, according to the Berlin Institute.