Overview

A newborn baby's health can be a key determinant of their health and wellbeing throughout life. Factors such as physical health, social wellbeing and exposure to harmful behaviours can influence health outcomes for both mothers and babies.

More reports and statistics on mothers & babies can be found under Children & youth and Men & women.

Latest findings

Labour was induced for 45% of selected women giving birth for the first time in 2018 1 in 5 (22%) women having their first baby vaginally without instruments had an episiotomy in 2018 Late antenatal care was associated with increased odds of low birthweight and NICU/SCN admission IREGs with higher rates of antenatal care were more likely to have lower rates of adverse mother and baby outcomes 1 in 4 (26%) selected women had an instrumental vaginal birth for their first birth In 2016–2017 63% of Indigenous mothers attended antenatal care in the first trimester, up from 55% in 2014–2015 Women younger than 20 years were least likely to access antenatal care in the first trimester Having no antenatal care was associated with increased odds of pre-term birth and perinatal death In 2018, 30% of selected women giving birth for the first time had a caesarean section 1 in 10 (9.2%) women smoked during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy in 2018

Latest reports

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Highlights

30.7 yearsis the average age of women who gave birth
6 per 100,000was the maternal mortality ratio in 2017
Almost 1 in 100pregnancies at or beyond 20 weeks gestation ends with the death of a baby
1 in 8mothers had a second birth vaginally after having their first birth by caesarean section
35% of mothers delivered by caesarean section in 2018 compared with 31% in 2008
44%44% of Indigenous mothers smoked during pregnancy in 2018, a decrease from 52% in 2009.
Congenital anomaliesare the most common cause of perinatal death
66%66% of Indigenous mothers attended an antenatal visit in the first trimester in 2018 compared with 50% in 2012.