Maternity Indicators report card:

A new report on maternity indicators shows mixed results for population groups in Australia.

The report, National Core Maternity Indictors, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) includes data for 2004 to 2009 across ten clinical indicators, including rates of caesarean section, induction of labour and small babies born at or after term. It includes detailed trends by state and territory, health service and sociodemographic characteristics are presented.

The report is a useful baseline for measuring the effects of changes in the quality of maternity services across Australia following the introduction of the 2010-2015 National Maternity Services Plan.

“Some good news is that we have seen a higher proportion of women (80%) attending antenatal care during the first trimester, and a drop in the proportion of babies born weighing less than 2,750 grams at or after 40 weeks,” said Professor Elizabeth Sullivan from the AIHW's National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit.

“The proportion of babies born weighing less than 2,750 grams at or after 40 weeks  fell from 2.1% to 1.8% between 2004 and 2009.

“This is important, as it indicates that very few exceptionally small babies are being missed during antenatal screening for poor fetal growth.”

Professor Sullivan said rates of smoking in pregnancy also dropped-from 16.7% to 14.5%.

“Although smoking rates dropped overall, significant differences among sociodemographic groups continue, with 36% of women living in Very remote areas reporting smoking in pregnancy compared with 13% in Major cities.”

Among Indigenous women, about 51% reported smoking during pregnancy in 2004-2009.

“While we have seen positive improvements in a number of indicators, there are some areas for possible further attention,” Professor Sullivan said.

“For example induction, caesarean section and instrumental vaginal birth rates increased over the period among most groups of women, while normal vaginal birth rates decreased proportionately.”

Professor Sullivan also said that the proportion of babies with a ‘low Apgar score’ has increased. Apgar scores are a measure of a baby’s adaptation to the environment immediately after birth.