There were 15,214 more babies born in Australia in 2005 than
there were in 2004, and the upward trends in both maternal age and
caesarean sections are continuing, says a report released today by
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
'In 2005, 267,793 women gave birth to 272,419 babies, which is
almost 6% higher than the previous year,' said Dr Elizabeth
Sullivan of the AIHW's National Perinatal Statistics Unit, based at
the University of New South Wales.
The report, Australia's mothers and babies 2005, says
women who gave birth in Australia in 2005 had an average age of
29.8 years compared with the average of 28.6 years in 1996.
'For first-time mothers, the mean age was 28 years in 2005 -
about a year and a half older than first time mums in 1996,' Dr
Sullivan said.
The rise in caesarean sections also continued in 2005, with
30.3% of women giving birth by caesarean section, compared with
19.5% in 1996.
Women giving birth in private hospitals reported higher rates of
caesarean sections.'
Of women who had previously had a caesarean section, the
majority (83.2%) had another caesarean section.
'Hospital stays, as you would expect, were longer for women who
had caesarean sections - about five days, compared with three days
for all women,' Dr Sullivan said.
The report also presents, for the first time, data that ties
maternal socioeconomic status to outcomes such as birthweight.
'From the figures we have, "socioeconomic advantage" is
definitely an advantage in terms of outcomes as well,' Dr Sullivan
said.
'Poorer outcomes such as preterm birth and low birthweight were
more common in the less advantaged groups,' she said.
The likelihood of interventions such as induction of labour,
instrumental delivery or caesarean section increased with
socioeconomic advantage, and mothers in the most advantaged groups
were less likely to smoke during pregnancy.
Other findings in the report include:
- 3.7% of women who gave birth were of Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islander origin
- 17.4% of mothers reported smoking during pregnancy
- 8.1% of all babies born in 2005 were preterm (less than 37
weeks gestation)
- 6.4% of all liveborn babies were of low birthweight (less than
2,500 grams)
23 November 2007
Further information: Dr Elizabeth Sullivan,
AIHW tel. 02 9382 1014 or mob. 04 3999 4820.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Australia's mothers and
babies 2005.